


Jade Green Grass And Cerulean Skies

by YagamiYuu



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/F, Humanstuck, Minor Character Death, Vampire Kanaya, fashion designer kanaya, model vriska, past!Rose/kanaya, vomit in chapter 7
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-03
Updated: 2013-05-11
Packaged: 2017-11-06 18:46:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 34,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/421975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YagamiYuu/pseuds/YagamiYuu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One night Kanaya the vampire is out searching for a snack when she comes across a strange woman jogging at 2:00 in the morning. Something about her makes Kanaya's dead heart seem like maybe it isn't quite as dead as she thought it was.<br/>(It's a better love story than Twilight I promise)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Stranger in the Park

Bright light from a full moon illuminated a vampire as she crouched in the bushes, waiting for prey. An eager glint was sparkling in her eye while she hid. It had been so long, too long, since the taste of fresh human blood last touched her tongue. Licking her lips, she imagined what it would be like to take a bite out of the lone jogger unwittingly heading her way. Judging by the way her muscles moved, and the bright red flush that stained her skin, she would make a delicious target. Silent and deadly, Kanaya started to follow the human completely unaware of the trouble maker she was about to invite to wreak havoc on her life.

The girl she had chosen to be her next meal had long, wild blond hair that cascaded down her back nearly touching her butt. It would be good for grabbing. Since her victim was probably in good shape, running wise, having some sort of predominance was necessary if she planned on catching her. If Kanaya chose to, she could easily match any speed the human managed however it always felt like that took most of the enjoyment out of the hunt. Instead she preferred to run at the same pace she did before attaining super human strength. After all a game like this is no fun when you use cheat codes every time.

Another feature Kanaya figured she could use to her advantage were the human's glasses. Judging by the thickness of her lenses she had horrible eyesight. If Kanaya had any luck she would be farsighted. In which case Kanaya could just sneak up behind her and pull off the glasses before biting into her soft, pale neck, and drinking her fill. Then she would slip away into the night, leaving the poor girl with no idea who had attacked her. She would not even have a bite mark as evidence that the events had been anything other than a figment of her imagination due early morning/late night delusions. Kanaya's bite marks always healed in a matter of minutes, with no scabbing or anything.

After trailing the girl for about ten minutes Kanaya decided it was time to strike. The blond was resting against a tree, drinking water. Her neck was in a perfectly vulnerable position. As she drank from her water bottle Kanaya watched, captivated by the way her throat bobbed with each gulp of the liquid. It was almost as if the human wanted her to chomp down on her neck and suck her dry.

The blood pumping through her veins smelled so tempting her fangs started to elongate on their own. Slowly, she moved toward the woman, coming from behind; ready to spook her and make her run for her life. Kanaya always let them get a head start before she fed, because in her opinion the chase was the best part. Unfortunately for the vampire, and fortunately for the human, there was a bird resting on the bush where the predator hid. When she lightly rustled the bushes to get closer to her victim, the bird woke up and made enough noise to alert the blond.

At this point Kanaya was already halfway out of the bushes so trying to hide again would just look silly. Not to mention incredibly creepy and stalker like. So when the jogger turned her head to investigate the sound behind her she saw the vampire immediately. Much to Kanaya's astonishment, instead of ignoring her or walking away, the woman started advancing towards her with a wide smirk on her face.

"Heeeeeeeey there, Stranger. And here I was, thinking that if I started jogging at 2:08 in the morning I could avoid people. But I guess the city never really sleeps." Kanaya didn't reply. She was too perplexed by the amount of energy the human seemed to have even though she was running around so early in the morning. "So, you like to come here a lot, or is this just a onetime thing?" When she stopped walking she stood so close to Kanaya that the fumes of her blood were starting to make her dizzy with hunger. The vampire was too experienced to let her urges quell her manners however. She willed away her animalistic side long enough to respond, though her fangs desperately wanted to break free from her gums.

"I would venture to say that coming here in the early morning is borderline habitual. But I don't believe I have ever seen you around."

"Yeah, I guess you could say I'm new here. To this area anyway. We're in such a big city though, what does it even matter if you've been here five years or two months? It's still easy to get lost, and you wouldn't know everyone since faces just kind of blend in, amiright?" Kanaya couldn't help but nod her head in agreement. The immense numbers were one of the reasons she chose New York to be her place of rest for so many years. No one notices if a homeless bum goes missing, or if your twenty five year old face hasn't aged at all in nine or ten years. People are too busy with their own ever changing lives to care about petty things like the how old a smalltime fashion designer really is.

"Truer words are very seldom spoken. May I ask where you hail from?" she inquires politely. Striking up conversations with strangers she intends to eat isn't something she normally does but for some reasons this person piqued her interest. Maybe it was the way she held immense amounts of confidence in her stance. Or the way she looked straight into Kanaya's eyes while they spoke. Or the way her blue lipstick managed to not look tacky at all. Whatever it was, Kanaya was trapped. It was like an invisible web had been spun around her keeping her still while the strange woman talked.

"No where special, really. I'm from a suburban town in Pennsylvania. I've always preferred the city though so once I turned eighteen I packed my bags and moved out here. I've been here about, 3 or 4 months I think? Chose here since this isone of the fashion capitals of the world. Fitting place for an aspiring model, hmmmmmmmm?" At the last question she struck a mock vogue-esque pose. Kanaya just stared at her in surprise. "I don't really have much experience or whatever. Like, I never modeled as a child or anything but the portfolio I put together is decent so I should be able to get in with a good modeling agency. Keeping my fingers crossed." She said showing Kanaya her crossed fingers with a cocky smile plastered on her face. She had a half grin half smirk that was incredibly toothy. It adeptly showed off her teeth that were so straight and white they could make any person jealous. "But luck doesn't really do jack shit for me most of the time so really I'm just going to have to rely more on my own hard work."

While the woman went on a tangent and ranted about how horrible her luck was, Kanaya took the time to examine her body with a more fashionable eye, rather than the predatory way she had observed it earlier. The girl was not ugly at all, but her choice in career was still surprising simply because it wasn't everyday one came across a girl with her body type who had so much confidence in their ability to be a model. Her hips were angular, yet fleshy and her bust was large. Her cup size was probably DD. From what Kanaya could tell by the tank top she wore, the jogger's stomach was probably a little bigger than desirable but calling her fat would be a vast overstatement. The sweat pants she wore were too baggy to give Kanaya a clue to how her legs looked but she assumed they were just average.

"Hey, don't look at me like that!" she laughed when she noticed Kanaya staring. "I know I'm a little overweight. Don't worry I'm not delusional. I plan on being a plus sized model. Those exist ya know." Of course Kanaya knew. She worked with models all the time. "Besides, even if I've got a lot of tummy, I also have a fine pair of legs, if I do say so myself."

Once Kanaya saw them, she agreed whole heartedly. Underneath the sweat pants hid two of the most perfectly sculpted legs Kanaya had ever seen, especially on a larger woman. As the porcelain appendages were revealed the vampire found herself wanting to touch them. They were like dancers' legs, only better because there was more to look at. Just looking at them gave her inspiration for a new dress designed specifically to show them off. "You truly do have an admirable set of legs. They would be highly capable of flattering innovative pieces of fashion. Modeling would certainly be a fitting profession for you to pursue." Kanaya was not the type of person who gave out compliments easily, especially when it came to important things like fashion but the stranger she had just met definitely deserved it. She worked the meat she had on her bones in a very tasteful way. Confidence oozed out of her skin the way it should out of a true model's. She had just enough to be sexy but not arrogant or annoying. It almost seemed practiced.

Normally, when Kanaya found girls who wanted to become models they were cocky and thought as long as they looked pretty and could walk in heels that every modeling agency would want them. This girl on the other hand seemed to have her ego in check, for the most part. She was aware of her finer points and her flaws which was very important. If she could maintain her bravado when placed in the real world then she would do just fine. But apparently she had only just left home a few months ago. She had not spent much time living on her own in the real world yet. She was still young enough to be naïve and have no idea what to do when it came to actually applying herself. Hopefully she would get her first job would with a good company.

After a few minutes of standing around, talking, they decided to start jogging again. The woman was under the impression that was the reason Kanaya came to the park in the first place and the vampire let her believe that since she didn't have any good excuses prepared. Also because she figured a little more fun with the human wouldn't hurt and she already had on the proper clothing for the activity. So when the blond said "I bet I can hold out longer than you." Kanaya had no reason to deny the challenge. Almost as soon as they started jogging the blond purposely picked up the pace and it eventually turned into more of a competitive race of who could run faster for longer. It was at least 25 minutes before the human conceded defeat to Kanaya.

The two of them sat on a park bench breathing heavily, Kanaya's breathing being feigned of course. There was plenty of light due to the city being ever lit but regardless it was still easy to tell by the sky that it was the middle of the night. They were no other people around. Just her and the woman she met who felt far too comfortable in her own skin. Kanaya's only thoughts at that moment in time were 'this feels nice'. The warm air coming from the human beside her, who was overheating due to the long run, made her feel a bit more alive than usual. Normally only feeding did that, which is ironic considering the fact that feeding was one of the things that made her least human. It just wasn't often that she got such a rush from doing something so innocent. When she looked over at her companion she realized she didn't even know her name. A stranger whose name she didn't know was capable of making her feel human again. Funny how the world work, isn't it?

"Dude, you are fucking faaaaaaaast!" The jogger shouted the last word at the top of her lungs and followed it with hiccups of awkward, euphoric laughter. "The last time someone matched me that well in a race was probably way back when I would run around with my sis." Yawning, the jogger rolled her shoulders back while cracking her neck. "I think it might be time for me to hit the hay. Goddamn you sure tired me out."

She stood up, stretching the muscles in her back and reaching her arms to the sky, rising to the top of her toes. Then she bent over completely, putting her hands flat on the ground right in front of her feet. While she was doing cool down stretches Kanaya took the time to appreciate the wonderful booty her apparently flexible new friend had. She definitely needed to make a dress tailored specifically for this woman and her assets. While she was lost in her thoughts thinking about all the different cuts and fabrics that would compliment her figure she failed to notice as the jogger finished her cool down. She didn't register her words when she talked about heading home and just absentmindedly waved good bye in response. It was at least another twenty minutes before she realized what had happened. By then it was too late to try and find her again.

Frowning at her lack of attentiveness Kanaya started to walk home, upset by the loss of her new muse. She decided that as soon as she returned home she was going to draw as many sketches of her as she could before her image can elude her memory. It may be viewed as creepy by some people but when you drink blood to sustain some sort of life, it becomes hard to views things as creepy.

As soon as she got homes she pulled out her sketch book and started to draw. The first thing she tried to remember was the details of her face. Her eyelashes had been long and very blonde. Beneath them were sparkling blue eyes. The color was so nice Kanaya made sure to color them in before she moved on to sketching the body. She would hate to forget that color.

After the face was done she started sketching the neck, shoulders, torso, etc. When she was finished the first part she realized the jogger had a very hour glasslike figure. Then she moved on to drawing her from behind and the sides. Soon after she added shading in certain ways to show the toned muscle definition. Once she finished that she started to add little bits of color. While she started adding laces to the joggers red sneakers she realized her infatuation with the human was not typical behavior for her. The last person she had been remotely interested in was Rose from back when she lived in Europe. Thinking back on it, Kanaya's initial feelings about the stranger she met was very similar to feelings she had when she was with Rose.

But could she really compare the two? Rose was sweet and delicate. They had many intelligent conversations. Being enamored with her made sense. This stranger however was unlike Rose in many ways. She was just… a stranger! No more than that. The only reason Kanaya was so caught up about it must have been because her body type was perfect for an upcoming fashion show she was suppose to be designing for.

At the thought of the fashion show her hand automatically flipped back to her unfinished designs. Staring down distastefully Kanaya considered actually finishing one of the many dresses she came up with. After 10 minutes of having no idea what to do with the half done clothes she decided to start from scratch.

It was almost Spring so she started out with flowery, off shoulder sleeves. She made the dress loose around the chest area then it lightly hugged the waist. The rest hung down lightly over the stomach and butt. It would reach halfway down the thigh then stop on the front and slope down in the back.

After the basic design was finished, Kanaya spent the rest of the night perfecting it. The end product was a beautiful, flowing dress with cool spring colors. At the top it was jade green like fresh grass, and then it blended into a cerulean blue, like the sky on a nice day. She couldn't wait to show it off to her design team. Unfortunately the sun still hadn't completely risen yet so they wouldn't be quite ready to observe her masterpiece. Instead Kanaya would start the day off by heading down to a modeling agency to find someone for them to test the clothes out on.

Before she truly went outside though, she would need to take a shower and put on a change of clothes. And maybe try to find some left over blood sitting in her freezer before she had to go out and face another day in close proximity with her only food source.


	2. An Acquaintance At Work

Showering always made Kanaya feel better after not eating. The scalding hot water, that burned her skin, made the blood substitute run through her veins faster which kept of hunger pains. Without a full stomach or intense heat to warm her she always felt kind of feral. As though she wasn't at all human, just a hungry beast trying to survive.

You know what else makes you feel less feral? That girl from the park, a small voice whispered in the back of her mind. Kanaya easily tuned it out. She was used to having her subconscious conjure up things that she didn't want to think about. There were always thoughts swimming in her head, related to unpleasant things happening in her life. Not that the stranger herself was unpleasant, but the feelings that arose due to her presence were similar and vaguely linked to a past event that was unpleasant. If Kanaya's thinking got to in-depth she didn't know what kind of suppressed memories would start resurfacing. Instead she opted for wordless images appreciating the blonde stranger's body. Those thoughts were okay. They had no emotions attached.

Even though it was pointless, Kanaya still wished she could see the woman again. For completely artistic purposes of course. Or at the very least to show her the dress she made that was inspired by solely her legs and eyes. If only Kanaya had at least asked for a name, then maybe there would be some sort of hope. But she did not even have that bit of information at her disposal.

Sighing Kanaya tried to shampoo away all the thoughts about that stranger. There were more important things to worry about. For example, how many models was she planning on hiring for the fashion show coming up? And what kind of fabric would her dress be made of?

With these lighter, less weighted things in mind she stepped out of the shower. When the cold hit her skin she hissed at it, like she could scare it away with her fangs. Even with her heat up as high as her budget would allow it still did not feel warm enough. It's hard not being able to retain body heat because your body is actually a corpse. It's hard and nobody understands.

While cursing her lifeless skin Kanaya searched her closet for something spring like to wear. Even though the slightest breezes made her shiver, she would bear with it for the sake of fashion. When living people think it is warm out they take the opportunity to show off more of their skin and God damnit if Kanaya wouldn't do the same!

If she was another vampire she might have to wear clothes covering up her skin to protect it from the suns painful rays, but when Kanaya was alive she had been born in Africa. The naturally large amount of pigment in her skin due to the fact that hailed from a sunny place was helpful in protecting her against the sun. Normally a vampire looses all the pigment in their skin when they turn, meaning no protection against the sun. Since when Kanaya was alive she was very dark, turning into a vampire did not take all of her pigment away. It made her lighter than before, but it didn't make her permanently unable to go into the sun. She used to hate her skin color and all the trouble it caused but after turning into a vampire she was infinitely thankful. If she had to never wear spring clothes again being a vampire would be unbearable.

Outside the sun was shining brightly, beating heat on Kanaya's skin. She relished in it while walking to the modeling agency she always went to for quality plus sized models. The way she picked out models seemed a bit cruel when put into words, probably because it was so similar to the way she picked out food. But she couldn't help the way her eyes had trained themselves to pick out the best. People who were large, but not in a way that was overwhelming or unhealthy, were her favorites to have in the work, play, and eating sense. She liked strength. She also admired intelligence. Finding such a perfect blend was difficult since brawn and brains are rarely a well put together combination.

While her preferences entertained her mind, her body was working on auto pilot. She was quite familiar with how the process went so she just let her subconscious go through the motions. Absentmindedly she nodded in the right places and examined all the different models, searching for the ones best suited for the job. Then a familiar face caught her eye. "Stop." She commanded the girl who was showing her different modeling portfolios. "Could you please go back to the blonde model? I think she might be an appropriate choice for this job."

"Sure thing! She's new, but she has a lot of talent and potential." The woman said, smiling as she flipped back to the folder Kanaya asked her too. When the vampire saw the face again her breath hitched. It was the woman she met in the park without a doubt. There was no mistaking the wild blonde hair, blue eyes, and self satisfied smirk she saw on photos resting inside the folder.

According to the files her name was Vriska Serket. On the outside Kanaya remained her normal, classy self but inside she felt turbulent. She couldn't pay attention to the agent selling her models if she tried. Her body was on auto pilot while her mind raced with thoughts. It seemed obvious that there was a chance they would meet again since Vriska had mentioned she was an uprising model, but what were the odds! It seemed like even though Vriska apparently had horrible luck, Kanaya had the best.

The rest of the trip passed by in a haze. She picked out a few models, and then gave the agency schedules for each model and when they should come. All the while the only persistent thought was 'I'm going to see her again.' Whenever Kanaya felt her outside actions suffer because of this revelation she chided herself for acting like such a lovesick school girl. She was too old to be acting so foolishly. They would meet, she would dress her, maybe some polite conversation would happen but after the show they would have no reason to see each other again. Kanaya was widely spread in the fashion world so they might work together a few more times but nothing but a professional relationship would be born. Getting attached would be stupid.

Even though Kanaya kept reminding herself that, she couldn't help it if her mind wandered. When she met with her design crew it was obvious how out of it she was but nobody said anything. She went through the normal actions of work, albeit a bit absentmindedly, patiently waiting for the models to come. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate on the papers in front of her, it didn't work.

When they finally walked through the door tried not to seem too eager but she couldn't help the way her eyes immediately found Vriska. Surprisingly Vriska saw her right away as well. Her reaction was instantaneous.

"You!" she called the second they locked eyes. Kanaya looked at her, just as surprised as the first time Vriska greeted her.

"I-" Before Kanaya could get more than a word out Vriska walked over with a grin that showed off her sharp canines. So sharp, that if it weren't for her trained eye Kanaya might mistake her for a vampire. But no vampire could have a natural tan like that. It was one thing to be born with dark skin, but her tan was obviously one that needed sun to stay.

"Woah, I can't be leave I'm seeing you here!" she said looking down at the fabrics and drawings scattered over Kanaya's desk. "So, you're a fashion designer, huh? That's so cooooooool. I can't believe I met someone with such a prestigious job in a park. What a coincidence? Also, you never told me this was your job! Even though I told you all about me being a model."

As she prattled on about her experience so far and how this was her first big job Kanaya noticed the way other models were looking at her. It seemed like she had already won their respect.

"I see that the other models already hold much reverence for you. Could it be you only came over to assure your status as naturally aloft when compared to them?" Kanaya asked with her lips turned up in a slight smirk.

For a moment she seems taken back by the way Kanaya so bluntly put it. Then her shocked face pulled into a smirk mirroring Kanaya's.

"Maybe. Do you have a problem with that?" she asked leaning over Kanaya's desk in a way that almost seems provocative due to the way her shirt was low cut, giving Kanaya an eyeful of boobs. She discreetly glanced at it only out of the corner of her eye while managing to mainly keep green locked n blue. If the blond noticed her wandering view she didn't show it.

"Not particularly. I wouldn't go as far as to say being in your company is something I hold an aversion to so if you feel the need to establish superiority by flaunting a shallow relationship with your ephemeral employer feel free." Vriska stared at Kanaya for a moment before throwing her head back in boisterous laughter.

"Man, you are a HOOT Ms. Maryam." She said straightening up after her laughter died down. The simple action made her breasts jiggle a surprising amount. Kanaya wondered how she was able to jog so comfortably with such a behemothic bust. Judging by the way Vriska started laughing again then pressing her chest together, Kanaya accidently asked the question outloud. If it weren't for her dark skin and the fact that she was a vampire there would probably be bright red blush on her face.

"You mean these babies?" Vriska asked crossing her arms under boobs so they were even more prominent than before. "I bought some suuuuuuuuper expensive sports bras off the internet. They took forever to find, and they hurt like a bitch but they keep my tits in check so I just deal with it." Kanaya nodded in understanding. She never really had that problem but she often heard bustier models complain about how hard it was to keep fit bodies since exercising was such a pain in the chest.

"As much as I would love to continue to sit here and speak about the abnormal size of your boobs I believe there work to be done. Go back to the other models. They are currently speaking with Charles. He should be assigning you guys with your outfits, and such. The fashion show is in about a week and a half so we are trying to work quickly. Do not get to distracted or distract anyone else."

"Ay ay captain!" she said with a salute then ran off with the other girls.

For the rest of the day Kanaya's eyes were secretly trained on Vriska. Her mannerisms, the way she carried herself, her voice, her appearance, her chest, they all called for attention. It was impossible to be around Vriska and not notice her. She was slightly obnoxious, but in a way Kanaya found pleasant. And she always smiled. There were almost no moments when her toothy grin disappeared. It was like she was born to be a model.

After a few hours of choosing who would wear what, the models had nothing left to do. A lot of the clothes were still in the pattern making stage so most of the women left, but a few stayed to help out with menial tasks like getting scissors or sharpening a pencil. Predictably, Vriska plopped herself down next to Kanaya. "Watcha doing?" she asked.

"I am trying to decide what kind of fabric would be most effective for this dress. With the direction I plan to go in, I will need to request a specific weave from a participating textile and I have already chosen the consummate colors but I don't know what cloth those colors should lie on. Perhaps you could provide me with assistance?"

"Uh, I don't really know a whole lot about actually making clothes, but sure! Since I'm going to be wearing this dress why not help out with making it?" Kanaya smiled at Vriska's eager answer. The woman had tried to hide how enthusiastic she was about helping but Kanaya was good at reading people. She noticed the way Vriska listened with rapt attention while she weighed the pros and cons of each type of fabric. It made her happy that someone was for once as interested in the many intricacies of fashion as she was.

The two women ended up staying later than anyone, mainly because they kept going on tangents that stopped any actual decision making from being done. By the time they decided the dress should be made of cotton chiffon, it was almost midnight.

"Do you always stay up this late, deciding on shit like this?" Vriska asked, yawning, as Kanaya started packing up her things. The vampire took a moment to think about it before answering.

"Quite often, yes. Being a fashion designer isn't as glamorous as some think it is. It requires hard work and dedication." She said. Vriska smiled at the answer.

"It's so cool that you put so much work into this stuff! Wow, I just can't stop talking about how cool your job is, can I? If I'm not careful you might get a swelled head." Kanaya allowed a small smile to grace her features.

"Don't worry about my ego. If there is anyone who is in danger of becoming too swollen headed it would be you. I've never met a person so presumptuous in my life and I work with women who have bodies seem handcrafted by the gods on a daily basis." Vriska scoffed at the remark.

"Whatever! Even if you work with models I'm sure I'm still the curviest woman you've ever met."

Silently Kanaya agreed. But out loud she said. "If that helps you rest comfortably at night, then feel free to tells yourself that." She scoffed again and gave Kanaya as harsh pap.

"Shut up! Let's just get out of here. Someone as sexy as me needs protection from the dark streets of New York at night." Kanaya cocked an eyebrow as they started leaving the building.

"What do you mean dark? The multitude of lights coming from lampposts and stores and the like keep this city resembling day 24/7." Vriska rolled her eyes and gave Kanaya another harsh pap.

They continued on like that for a while until they reached Vriska's apartment door. Kanaya decided that since she kept Vriska so late, it was only courteous to walk her home. They stood outside silently for a moment before Vriska asked, "Hey, do you have pesterchum?" Kanaya smiled gently, nodding. "Sweet!" she exclaimed then took out her phone before holding it out to Kanaya who entered in her handle then handed the phone back. "Grim auxiliatrix? Isn't that latin for, like, helper or something?" Kanaya nodded. "Cool. I'm arachnidsGrip. Uh, see you later I guess." She said as she opened her apartment door. Before she closed it she flashed Kanaya one last grin and a wave.

Once she was out of sight Kanaya let herself swoon. The entire walk back to her condominium was spent in a love drunk stupor. Well, love was a bit of a strong word but she definitely liked Vriska a lot. And she couldn't wait to see her again.

The next time Kanaya saw Vriska was a lot sooner than she thought it would be. The models did not need to show up again until a few days before the show, since the clothes were still in the process of being patterned, and there wasn't much for them to do. They were told this when the modeling agency they worked for gave them the assignment details. Vriska showed up the day after her first appearance.

"What are you doing here?" Kanaya asked right away.

"There isn't anything important for me to be doing right now, so I was just walking around the city when I happened to pass by. I was like, "Hey, doesn't Kanaya work here?" So I figured I'd just pop right in and say helloooooooo, 'cause I'm bored." Kanaya's ebony brow furrowed in suspicion.

"Ok. I'll accept that as a suitable answer for why you decided to grace me with your presence. But I inquire, how were you able to get past the front desk without any sort of valid reason for coming? Even if we are not in possession of any important, arcane information we still don't allow people to waltz in and out of our building as they please."

"Getting in was super easy! All I had to do was intimidate the guy at the front desk a little by telling him you told me to come. I mean, he's got some pretty impressive muscles and all but maybe you should invest in some better security. Like, hire someone who doesn't start sweating buckets when you tell him it's an order from his superior. I mean," Then she started going in depth about what exactly she said to him, and all his reactions, as she sat next to Kanaya on the bench in front of her working table.

Kanaya considered telling her to go somewhere else, because she had work to do that required a lot of concentration, but she had a feeling Vriska wouldn't have left no matter what she said. So instead of fighting an already lost battle, she kept working on drawing the pattern for her dress, while idly listening to her talk.

Everyone in the studio kept looking at them in a way that was probably meant to be inconspicuous, but to Kanaya was painfully obvious. Kanaya enjoyed peace and silence while she worked; having people near her under any situation made her uncomfortable. No one actually knew why it was like this, but they accepted it as a fact engraved in stone. When a random novice model suddenly worms her way into the iced over heart without even trying, it is obviously going to turn a few heads.

If Vriska was aware of all the eyes on her, it didn't show. But Kanya was beginning to speculate that she always had people staring at her, so it didn't faze her anymore. Or maybe she was actually incredibly oblivious. Either way Kanaya was thankful, because it would be awkward trying to explain why everyone was sneaking glances at them over their papers.

Kanaya had originally thought that having Vriska around would be like having a pest that she would just have to tolerate, but she was proven wrong. Having Vriska with her was more like having a child at work, but in a good way. Like it was bring your child to work day, that kind of thing. It was amusing watching Vriska find random things around to amuse herself with. Whenever she made a new discovery she would report back to Kanaya like she had done something remarkable. For the most part she just humored the blond.

"Looooooook! Isn't this the softest thing you have ever felt? I mean, fuck, can you imagine pajamas or something made out of this? It would be awesome!" Kanaya nodded in agreement, while straightening her ruler against a piece of paper before drawing a line.

"When I first purchased that fabric, my intention was to create some sort of sleepwear for myself. I just never got around to actually sewing anything." Vriska gasped.

"You need to make me a night gown out of this. Pleeeeeeeease. Please please please please please please please please."

"Sure." Kanaya agreed.

There was a moment of silence. Kanaya could tell that in her mind the blonde was thinking this deal over, suspicious of her instant agreement. "Ok…..what's the catch?" she asked.

"There is no 'catch'. I will make you pajamas out of that fabric. There are copious amounts of it lying around my home studio, mainly residing in the queue box. As I said before it was my original intention to make pajamas so it will be no hassle at all."

"Oh. Are you sure?"

"Positive." There was another moment of silence.

"Huh. Thanks Kanaya." She said seeming genuinely surprised by her generosity. It made Kanaya smile.

"You're welcome." She relished, for a moment, in the bright grin that was sent her way, before focusing on her work again. Vriska's talking served as pleasant background noise.

They ended up staying until almost midnight again. Only this time a lot of work got done, instead of none at all. Kanaya would probably be able to finish the dress within a few days. Much faster than she needed too which left quite a bit of free time for her to work on the pajamas for Vriska. Not that she wouldn't have already had enough time, even if she the dress still needed a week of work, considering the fact that she didn't need sleep ever. She told Vriska that to assure her making the pajamas were no problem, leaving out the no sleeping part of course.

"Oh I seeeeeeee. That's why you were so ok with it. I expected you to be all 'I'm far too busy for your silly little requests'." She said, mocking Kanaya's voice.

"Well, in that aspect of my life you were quite incorrect. I am always in search of tasks to busy my mind and fingers. You can't even comprehend the amount of free time I have on my hands."

"I'll keep that in mind." Vriska said smirking. In her eyes Kanaya could almost see gears turning, but she didn't want to pry and ask what exactly Vriska had in mind. From the little information she gathered it could be anything from 'sew me a dress' to 'sew me a LARP cosplay'.

"Anyway, we better not get into the habit of doing this late night thing. It's going to be bad for my health! I can't afford to get bags under my eyes Kanaya." She said pulling down her bottom eyelid. "Like, literally, I need the money to pay for food and whatnot. Urgh, it's going to be really annoying when college starts getting hard and I have to keep up with my appearance." She whined rubbing her face.

"What college do you attend?" Kanaya asked, surprised that Vriska even went to college. It was the first time she had mentioned school so Kanaya figured that being a model was Vriska's primary goal and that education just got in the way.

"Barnard College. By the way, I've got classes tomorrow so I won't be able to drop by again and help you out. Sorry. I know how much you need to me with you but, eh, I'm a busy girl. I've just go soooooooo many irons in the fire." "What?" "What do you mean what?" "What do youmean by irons in the fire? What kind of saying is that?" "It's my kind of saying. I've got a lot of irons, and all of them are in the fire. All of them, Kanaya. Don't question me." "…Ok then." Vriska cackled at Kanaya's evident confusion and the darker woman sighed. The rest of the walk back to her apartment was filled with lots of small talk. Before they knew it, they were outside of Vriska's door. They stood still for a moment, like the first time Kanaya walked her home. Vriska was fidgeting, and subtly opening and closing her mouth, like she had something she wanted to ask. Kanaya wasn't much of an instigator so she stayed silent, waiting to see what the other would do.

After a few awkward moments of standing outside her apartment, Vriska decided that whatever she wanted to say wasn't important. "Talk to you later." She mumbled before slipping into her apartment.

Kanaya lingered outside the door for a minute, in case Vriska changed her mind and had something extra to say. She didn't. So the vampire decided it had been far too long since her last meal.

After a healthy meal of 'obnoxiously loud chewing guy' and 'sobbing into her hands girl' Kanaya felt refreshed. It was about 4 am which meant that she had a few hours left to work on the pajamas for Vriska. The basic pattern, which she had made for herself, was already done. All she had to do was fit it to Vriska's body type.

Making clothes and fashion had been a passion of Kanaya's since she was young. Back in Africa she had always been the one to weave clothes for the children wandering around. When she was sold into slavery, her mistress's daughter had a passion for knitting so she passed the trade on to Kanaya. They had spent hours in her room just knitting blankets, socks, clothes, whatever they could think of.

Since then, Kanaya had grown along with technology and taken to using a sewing machine instead. But every now and then she would bring out her knitting needles old so her skills didn't get too rusty. The pace at which she knit was inhuman, and she wanted to keep it that way. However, to make Vriska's nightgown she would need to use her sewing machine.

After that night Kanaya fell into the routine a basic routine. She would get dressed, go to work, stay until at least eleven, have a snack in the park, then go home and work on personal projects. There was nothing she loved more than sewing, so she tried her hardest to fill up her days with it.

Occasionally, at work, Vriska would pester her. Their conversations usually started out with Vriska complaining about how bored she was, and Kanaya giving her advice on how to alleviate said boredom. Then it dissolved into meaningless conversations filled with interesting stories, playful banter, and more advice giving. Kanaya did most of the advice giving.

The vampire found herself very content with this schedule. There was nothing else should could really ask for at the moment, except for maybe Vriska liking her more than as a friend. But that wasn't likely to happen, so she ignored those longings. Keeping a leveled head was one thing Kanaya prided herself in, and a model with a pretty face wasn't going to walk into her life and destroy that. At least, that was what Kanaya liked to keep telling herself.

But the day before fashion show, Kanaya realized once it was over, Vriska would probably stop talking to her. What point would there be? The only reason she started talking to her in the first place was so that other people would think she had connections. But once her authority was out of the equation, what use would she have for Kanaya? She kept reminding herself that Vriska and her were in fact friends, and the Vriska had told her this many times. There was no way to tell how sincere that was though. Kanaya had met many people who would call her friend, but then stop talking to her. Not that she really minded. Having friends is too dangerous anyway. Getting rid of her after you've done your job will save you from getting hurt. One day she'll die, just like the rest of the humans. You don't need them. You don't need anyone.

That night, Kanaya couldn't bring herself to fix up the pajamas. Tomorrow she would give it to Vriska and that would be the end. It wasn't her best work, but that was ok. Vriska would probably end up ripping them then throwing them out. That way there would be no connection left. Just memories that would fade away.

Since sewing would cause too many feelings, she instead read some of her vampire romance novels. They were all horribly inaccurate descriptions of vampires, but that was ok. She forgave the shitty authors for the ignorance and focused more on the love plots. It was a guilty pleasure of hers, that she indulged in whenever she was feeling low.

By the time she had to go back to work to help prep for the fashion show, she had finished two books. She placed them on the 'already read' shelf before leaving.

During preparation it seemed like every little thing that could go wrong did. Lighting got messed up. There weren't enough chairs. Music tracks were skipping. Someone thought they saw a mouse. Water was knocked over. Et cetera et cetera.

But in the end, it all came together. All the models were stunning in their spring attire. Vriska was, of course, the most stunning of all. The way the lights hit her hair and made it shine like gold. The way her blue eyeshadow brought out her eyes and made them twinkle. The way her dress flowed around her legs showing off their perfection. The way her shoes encased her feet making them look like some sort of item on display. It was perfect, and it took Kanaya's breath away. She was glad her dress had the honor of being on someone so perfect.

When the show was over Vriska found Kanaya immediately. "That was the most amaaaaaaaaing feeling in the world! Having everyone look at me like that…..I did it right, didn't I? Made your dress look good I mean. Are you happy you chose me to be your model." Kanaya stepped back and gave Vriska a once over. It took all of her willpower to keep from grinning like an idiot. She closed her eyes and let out a small chuckle.

"Yes darling. My dress had the most divine model in the area gracing it with her figure. 'a model of such high quality would surely never wear a low quality dress therefore that dress must be as high quality as they come!' is what all the judges thought. I could see it on their faces." Vriska squealed then brought Kanaya in for a hug.

"Sorry I'm acting like such a stupid little girl haha. It's just wow. My parents never thought I'd be a model and stuff and here I am now. It's a really, really weird feeling. Did you feel like this when you first got one of your designs on stage?"

"I actually don't recall the emotions that I felt. There was a torrent of them I'm sure. But I assume that I felt similar to what you feel right now."

"It's kind of hard to imagine you freaking out over anything though. You're always so calm and composed and shit." The woman sighed, and smiled sadly. "I know I say this a lot, but I really do think you're cool. I wish I could be as in control of my emotions as you are. But I'm always flying off the handle." She ran a through her hair looking at Kanaya with unfocused eys. "Yeah, life would be much less of a hassle that way."

"Can I tell you a secret?" Kanaya began hoping to lighten Vriska's mood. After her amazing show was no time for self loathing. The blonde nodded focusing back on Kanaya. "My placid exterior is actually just a mask constructed to hide the tempestuous emotions that run rampant in my mind. There are few people who are perpetually calm. It is just that some are better than hiding it than others. Overtime, if you keep practicing, it gets easier. I'm older than you so it's only fitting that I'm more practiced."

For a moment Vriska did nothing but stare at her. Kanaya was almost worried she'd said something too personal, but then the blonde's face broke into a large grin. "Do you always give people such good advice? Is that a thing you do for any troubled soul who wanders by? Because jegus that is the smartest thing I've ever heard anyone say!"

"Jegus?"

"It's a thing my sister says, shut up."

"Ok."

The two of them stood there, just looking at each other for a moment. Vriska looked like she had something else she wanted to say. Kanaya waited.

"So, um. I'll see you around I guess?" She said awkwardly rubbing at her arm, and avoiding the clear green eyes that could see what she was feeling.

"Yes. Farewell for now. I hope the fashion world treats you well." She held out her hand for a shake, but Vriska dragged her into another hug before walking, almost running, away. Kanaya savored the feeling of having their bodies pressed together, before she went to her office to pack up her things and go home.

It wasn't until she got home that she realized she never gave Vriska the pajamas.


	3. A Friend in a Coffee Shop

With the fashion show over Kanaya found her schedule had cleared up considerably. Most people would be grateful for a vacation like this but Kanaya was not most people. Having a vacation only meant an endless string of time with nothing substantial to do. She thought about pestering Vriska, and maybe finally giving her the pajamas, but then she realized without a conversation topic it would just end up awkward. There was no way she would risk sounding like an idiot around someone like her. That would severely damage her chances at getting her in bed.

Instead she scrolled down her contacts list, which was full of past lovers and other vampires, on pesterchum. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with any of her past lovers, mainly because she didn’t want to risk getting attached in a way that wasn’t physical, and all the vampires were offline. Since it was almost noon she figured that would be the case. 

It was times like these that made Kanaya realize how lonely she really was. She wasn’t naturally this cold, it was just a side effect of being immortal. She couldn’t afford to get close to mortals, unless she wanted to have her heart shattered as she watched them grow old while she stayed the same age. She had tried a real relationship once, it ended horribly.

All the deep thinking made her head start to hurt. Maybe I should go somewhere to get pampered, she thought rubbing her temples and rising up from the couch in her living room. She logged out of pesterchum, not wanting to be bothered, then went to her room to get properly ready for the day. It probably wasn’t a good idea to go outside in the day wearing her ‘hunting’ clothes. 

After she changed into something more socially appropriate, a dark purple blouse and denim pencil skirt, she headed out to her usual salon. It had been a while since she last got her hair cut anyway and it was getting a little too long for her liking. As nice as long hair was, it wasn’t at all practical so she kept it short. But not unattractively so. She had a hairdresser who worked wonders with short hair.

“Good afternoon Broderick.” She greeted moments after walking into the building. Said man sighed when he heard the name.

“How many times do I have to tell you, call me Dirk.” He responded standing up from his place behind the counter. “You wouldn’t like it if I went around calling you Kanaynay, now would you?” he retorted slapping her ass in greeting then slipping his hand in her butt pocket before guiding her over to his workplace. A few people who weren’t used to their ‘special’ relationship stared but all the workers and regular customers were used to it. Kanaya never made appointment, she just showed up and Dirk attended to her no matter how busy they were. The reason for this was whenever Kanaya was in charge of a fashion show she would hire them for hair and makeup. It was great publicity so everyone complied with Kanaya’s wishes and had no complaints.

“If you ever referred to me as Kanaynay I would cease all interactions between you and myself as quickly as possible. That goes without saying. But I know you would never commit such an act so I’m afraid you have failed to gain any sympathy for your situation and I will continue to use your birth name no matter how much you dislike it.” Dirk chuckled, removing his hand so Kanaya could sit down.

“I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you want me to do what I always do.” He said steering the conversation away from himself.  
“Actually I was thinking of changing up my routine for once and getting properly taken care of. Shocking, I know. But I’ve been feeling kind of stressed lately and require something to relieve my poor mind of all the strain.” 

“Aaaaw, guurl you just lay yer precious little head back and let Dirky make you feel aaall better.” He said slipping into his stereotypical gay hairdresser voice. “But seriously, feel free to tell me about all your the many quandaries of being a rich, popular fashion designer.” He said before leaning her chair back and wetting her hair.

The next couple of hours were spent jamming about feelings while Dirk did her hair, hands, feet, and makeup. By the time Kanaya walked out of the salon she was feeling refreshed and ready to face the world again. A nice quiet day doing nothing didn’t sound too bad anymore. With that thought in mind Kanaya decided to walk around a bit and find somewhere nice to sit while she read.

She walked around for a while before she came across a place that had smells of coffee wafting out the door. Kanaya breathed in deeply before walking inside and surveying the place. It looked surprisingly cozy for a place in the city. The walls were tan and the floor had cream-colored tiles. It was nice so she decided to bask in the atmosphere for a while.

“Ahem!” A loud fake cough came from the counter, breaking her from her day dream. Kanaya felt embarrassment shoot through her. Even if it was a nice place, the appropriate reaction was probably not spacing out in front of the door.

“Oh my, please excuse me for getting lost in reverie while still standing at the entrance of this establishment. I was captivated by the warm air that permeates this building. The façade made it seem as though it would have a rougher interior so um, this, took me by surprise.”

“Kanaya, shut up.” The girl at the counter said. Kanaya was shocked by the way the girl spoke to her is such a harsh way. There were few people who did that, especially if they knew who she was.

Kanaya looked closely at the other girl, trying to remember where they could have met. She was chubby, but in a good way. She had thick, black framed glasses and her hair was completely hidden by a brown cap that seemed like part of shop’s uniform. Her frowning lips were smeared with blue lipstick. 

It took her a few seconds, but then it clicked. “Vriska! It’s you!” She felt like an idiot for not recognizing her right away. 

“No shit, Sherloooooooock.” the blond drawled. 

The fashion designer looked over her, and her outfit, with a frown. She was wearing a white polo shirt that was too big for her and had brown coffee stains all over it. Her khakis were too small and also smeared with stains. “Well, it’s no wonder I couldn’t recognize you, this outfit doesn’t suit you at all. It should be blamed, not I. You should be wearing something that better flatters your curves. This outfit does them no justice. It just makes you seem lumpy. It is shame that you’re hiding your wonderful body under horrendous clothes.” Vriska’s face bloomed red. 

“Oh, um, thanks.” She stuttered. Kanaya wasn’t really sure why. A model should be used people telling her how good her body looked. Not to mention Vriska was so confident she assumed that her words would be taken more as a fact than as a compliment. “But, uh, it isn’t my choice to wear this. It’s the uniform.” Kanaya raised an eyebrow.

“That is no excuse for your ill fitting clothes. You could at least buy something in the right size.” Vriska tugged at her pants and shrugged.

“I don’t actually care about fashion or clothes unless it’s getting me money.” Kanaya looked absolutely appalled which only made the messy blond grin. “You look really good today though!”

She hummed noncommittally, stepping back to get a better look at Vriska. “Is the rest of your wardrobe equally…How do I put this delicately…” the thought for a moment. “Is your entire closet composed of clothes that fit you worse than a potato sack?”

Vriska blushed, offended and kind of angry. “No! They aren’t that bad. I mean, I guess I haven’t gone shopping in a year or so but who even cares?”

“When do you have off work? I’m going make you shop until you have enough clothes that your everyday attire can pass for acceptable. I’m sorry, but if you honestly think it is ok for you to go our wearing this, you are severely mistake. Also, can’t you wear some sort of apron to protect your clothes from the stains? I can’t imagine that being against the dress code. If anything, it should be part of the dress code.” Vriska scoffed and rolled her eyes.

“I don’t wear one because what’s the point? My shirt is already a mess.” Then she got rid of her cap and took her hair out of the bun. She shook her head and let it all loose. Kanaya had to refrain from mentally writing a poem about the way waterfalls of gold slid over shoulders, like water over a boulder. “Uh, Kanaya? Earth to Kanaya.” The darker woman snapped out of it.

“I’m sorry, what were you saying Vriska?” the blond looked at her oddly for a second.

“What I said was since no one is even here I’m just going to ditch this place and go shopping with you. The manager is a total pushover, so I won’t get in trouble for leaving.” Kanaya frowned and shook her head.

“No, I would hate for you to get fired on my part. Stay here and finished your shift.” While Kanaya was talking Vriska started locking up, ignoring her assurances that she didn’t mind waiting. It made her feel bad for inspiring the rebellion. She had always favored following rules instead of anarchy.

“Technically it’s not on your part. I’m the one getting clothes, right? So whatever, let’s just go.” It was obvious that, regardless of whether or not Kanaya agreed, Vriska was set on leaving. It would be more productive to go along with her rather than resist. 

First they went to Vriska’s apartment, so Vriska could change out of her work clothes and so Kanaya could inspect the rest of her closet.

The apartment was nothing special, just a small place with enough space for one person to live in. It occurred to Kanaya that maybe the reason Vriska couldn’t be bothered to care about her clothes was because she thought she didn’t have enough money. 

“Vriska, is the reason you hold such indifference towards good fashion, when it is outside of your modeling work at least, because you feel that someone in your financial position has no time to worry about “trivial” things like appearance?” she asked.

“Maaaaaaaaybe.” She answered, rolling her eyes. “But it’s not like I’m poor! I just don’t have a million dollars lying around that I can use to spend on money.”She looked at Kanaya pointedly, who smiled in return.   
She was tempted to say something about how that was no excuse for bad fashion choices. Even back when Kanaya was poor and wandering Europe, hiding from the slave trade, she could pass off as well dressed and being well dressed got her places. No one messed with a lavishly dressed slave. That was the main reason she wanted to help out Vriska, because clothes really got her places, but telling her that would only raise more questions and confusion so she held her tongue and watched as Vriska unlocked the door to her apartment.

Without waiting for permission Kanaya walked in and found the door to her room, which was easy since it was the only other door. After walking through there she had to guess which door hid the closet. It was the smaller one right across from the entrance. What she saw made her want to cringe with disgust. Everything was either an old T-shirt or a pair of jeans. No matter how hard she looked she couldn’t find anything else. “Oh my god, where are all the clothes you wore during the time you were my model? Your dress seemed perfectly fine then.” Vriska nodded towards the small dresser by her bed. Kanaya went over to it an opened up a drawer. Inside she found a mess of crumpled up clothes. She shrieked and took them all out, carefully placing them on Vriska’s bed.

“Yeah, I only take those clothes out on special occasions.” She said sitting down on her bed and laying back. “So, where exactly do you plan on taking me shopping? ‘Cause I’ve only got so much money I can spend and I’m not really up to wasting all of it on a skirt that costs $150 dollars.”

Kanaya didn’t stop folding while she answered, “I’m paying for everything of course. I wouldn’t force you to go out shopping, and then make you pay. That’s utterly unconscionable. What kind of person do you think I am?” When Kanaya told Vriska that she was paying for everything the other woman grinned.

“Oh my god, you are such a meddler.” She complained, sounding annoyed, but she didn’t object. Vriska wasn’t above letting other people spend their money on her. She thought people who let their pride get in the way of gaining more resources were stupid. Using dirty tricks and manipulation is a much better way to get through life. Pride never put food on the table.

After all the clothes had been folded and put away, except for a pair of skinny jeans and blue shirt that Vriska changed into, the two women left the apartment. The first store they went into was a small place filled with people.

The second she walked in a woman appeared at Kanaya’s side. She was small with a beaky nose and pointy eyes. “Ms. Maryam, how lovely it is to see you again!” she cooed. Kanaya smiled politely at her.

“It’s nice to see you too. No, I do not need any help. I’ve been here enough times to know where everything is located. I only came here to tend to my friends whose closet lacks anything tasteful. She does not need help either, I am helping her. Good day.” The small woman smiled, bowed shallowly, then shuffled away to cater to some other customer.

Without saying another word Kanaya started walking further into the store. She was easily able to find the area with clothes that would best fit Vriska. There was a large variety of things to choose from, Vriska was overwhelmed, but Kanaya’s eye was trained to tell what would look best from a single glance. It was obvious how seriously she took fashion by the way she examined things. A dark purple shirt caught her eye but before taking it off the rack she ran a hand over it and stretched it a bit, checking the fabric. When she was sure that it would be good for Vriska she handed it over.

“Try this on.” She commanded pushing her towards the dressing room.

“Ok, ok! No need to get pushy, sheesh.” She muttered walking into the cramped space. When Vriska came out Kanaya smiled. It accentuated her breasts, showing off their size, but didn’t simultaneously draw attention to the size of her stomach. The way it fell over her hips made them look round and appealing. Kanaya licked her lips and nodded in approval. Then she started searching for a pair of pants to go with them.

For the next hour it continued on just like that. Kanaya would pick something out, Vriska would put it on, and then they would add it to the expanding collection of clothes. By the time it was six the two women were carrying almost twenty bags of clothes. The blond was huffing and trying to keep up with Kanaya’s fast pace. “H-hey! Maryam!” she huffed. “Wait up!” Kanaya stopped and looked behind her.

“What is it?” she asked, not at all tired from the walking.

“It’s almost six, don’t you think it’s time to give it a rest? We’ve been shopping for hours. I have enough clothes to last me the rest of my life!” Kanaya looked at her watch and hummed in surprise.

“I suppose you are right. I guess we should get all of these things back to your apartment. I don’t think it is too far from where we are now…” She said looked around, then she started walking in the direction she thought Vriska’s home was. The younger girl let out a choked noise.

“Do you think we could maybe take a taxi back instead? My legs can’t handle anymore walking!” Vriska complained.

“I…guess that’s ok.” She agreed reluctantly. She was never a fan of vehicles, but she knew that she had put Vriska through a lot. 

They were able to hail a taxi fairly quickly. They were back at Vriska’s apartment within ten minutes. Kanaya hadn’t been lying when she said they were close to her home. The women hauled the clothes up to Vriska’s apartment, taking the stairs because the elevator was shady, and then dumped them all on her bed. 

“So, what do I do with all my old clothes?”

Kanaya was already taking them off the hangers and putting them into an emptied shopping bag. “I’ll be taking them. I am always in need of more fabric, these will do quite nicely.” While she rearranged Vriska’s closet she got an idea. “How about we try out some of these new clothes? There are numerous outfits here fit for clubbing, and a new place opened up not too far from here. I’ve heard good things about it, and I think it will suit your tastes quite well.” Vriska looked at her skeptically. 

“I’m having a hard time believing that a classy lady like you would know any good clubs. How old are you anyway, like forty?”

“Why, do I look forty?” Kanaya asked trying to seem concerned about aging. She even pulled out a pocket mirror to check her makeup, which was still as flawless as the second Dirk put it on. Vriska laughed at her worries.

“Nah, I’m joking. But you act like you’re almost a hundred or something. I can’t imagine you, uh, letting loose.” Kanaya scoffed.

“Even if I’m a little aged around the edges, I assure you I am still fully capable of partying with the best of them.” 

The process of folding took a while, so Vriska started helping as well. While they put the clothes away they started making plans for later that night. Kanaya would show up at Vriska’s door, at 9 PM sharp, and then escort her to the club. 

As soon as Kanaya got home she rooted through her drawers for something especially sexy to wear. There was no denying her attraction to Vriska, so she might as well woo her while she had the chance. Maybe getting her into bed would help dispel the pesky emotions that kept floating around in her heart.


	4. A Lover in Bed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh snap, look at me not taking a month to update. I'm making the best of what little summer I have left.... Btw, this chapter is one of the reasons this story is rated M ;)

For the millionth time that night Kanaya looked herself over in the mirror, trying to make sure that her appearance was as appealing as possible. One of her best features was her wide hips, so she liked to wear pencil skirts to show them off. She had chosen a bright orange one that Dirk had given her as a present. She thought of it as her 'good luck' skirt. It started just above her belly button and ended halfway down her thighs. The shirt she wore was a halter top that opened across her chest, showing off the sides of her breasts. The top half was red, and the bottom half black. And it goes without saying that both articles of clothing were as tight as possible.

On her feet were a pair of bright red stilettos,in them she tucked a couple items that she might need for later on. Normally such things would be tucked in her bra, but tonight she wasn't wearing one.

There wasn't much she had to do with her makeup. Dirk always used the highest quality stuff on her, and he knew ways to make sure that it stayed on perfectly until she wanted it to come off. All she had to do with apply some more red lipstick, to make her lips pop, and she was off.

Walking down the street she got plenty of looks from people. Since she was in a good mood she humored them by winking, and blowing kisses. It was cute seeing young girls get flustered as they began questioning their sexuality.

When she got to Vriska's place it was 9 on the dot. She knocked on the door twice then waited. Behind the door she heard lots of rustling and crashes before it opened up. Kanaya let her eyes roam over the young girl's body, then nodded in approval. Her eyelashes and lips were adorned in their usual blue makeup. The only difference in her face was lightly applied glitter. Instead of her thick glasses she had in contacts. She wore a dark blue mesh top over a black tank top. She had on denim booty shorts and underneath there were fishnet stockings that showed of the tanned skin of her legs. On her feet were a pair of boots that reached halfway up her calves. 

"You look good." Kanaya smiled. "Make sure you are careful. Dressing up so nicely can be dangerous." She warned, with a joking tilt to her voice. Vriska grinned widely.

"Thanks Kanaya! You don't look half bad yourself." she said with a wink. "So, where's this club you're taking me to? Are we going to need to take a cab?" She asked walking out of the apartment making sure her door was locked. Kanaya scoffed.

"I never transport myself via motorized vehicle. I don't believe in them, they are simply unnatural. Why should I waste money on one when I have a perfectly healthy pair of legs I can use to get wherever I want?" Vriska stopped walking and gaped at her.

"Woah, wait, are you trying to tell me you _walked_ all the way here? And in those heels? Respect!" Kanaya stopped as well and looked at her. Sometimes she forgot humans didn't have the same physical capabilities as her. She shrugged sheepishly then started walking again.

"Um, yes. I've lived in New York for quite some time so I am...used to it?" Vriska laughed and patted her on the back, complimenting her strength.

"So, how do we get to the place?" She asked again. Kanaya started walking in the direction she knew the club was.

The blonde followed the elder woman who, in great detail, explained how to get reach the place. Vriska ended up listening intently, just in case she ended up getting separated from Kanaya. It would suck to be lost in New York City with no knowledge of how to get home. She didn't stop talking until they were outside of the building greeting the bouncer. 

It was a large, dark man with dreadlocks that touched his shoulders. He was very sweaty and appeared to be missing a few teeth. When he saw Kanaya he gasped. "Oh my, Ms. Maryam your outfit is exceptionally... lewd on this night. I expect better from someone of such a high caliber in the fashion world. This look is not appropriate at all, and, who is this?" he asked turning to look at Vriska with scrutinizing eyes. Her mouth was wide in shock. 

"Equius? Is that you?" she asked, sounding excited. For a moment he looked confused then realization dawned on him. 

"Oh. Hello Vriska." he greeted. "I...did not expect to see you here. It has been a long time." He seemed to be contemplating saying something else, but instead he remembered he had a job to do. "I need to see your ID." They both handed over their cards, which were both fake, and if Equius knew that he would have turned them away immediately. But Equius did not know that so he let them in. 

Both women murmured promises of catching up with him later. Once they were inside Kanaya made sure to lock arms with Vriska so she didn't get lost in the crowd. The music thumped loudly. It ran through Kanaya's body making blood substitute run through her. Blood was thick in the. She took in a deep breath, trying to get a taste. "Mmmm..." she unconsciously moaned. When she realized she let the noise slip out she felt a random jolt of heat.

"Uh...Kanaya? You ok?" She nodded, choosing to pretend that wasn't a thin that just happened. Vriska was confused but went along with her anyway.

"So, it seems that you and Equius have a familiar past. Would you care to tell me how you two came across each other?" Vriska laughed nervously.

"Uh, let's not." She responded. Kanaya thought that was odd, but respected her privacy and didn't push further. Instead she focused on finding a place for them to sit.

This wasn't her first time here so she easily maneuvered around the crowd and found them seats at the bar. Next to her Vriska was bursting with energy, which didn't surprise her. "I presume this is not your first time in a facility such as this." Vriska nodded.

"Yeah, I've never been to a place as intense as this but I've been to, like, parties and stuff." she beamed so wide Kanaya was almost scared her lips might split. "So, how do we do this?" she asked. The older woman turned towards her, crossing her legs. 

"That depends on how you want this evening to proceed. We could do a number of things. Talk, drink, mingle, dance. Whatever it is you want. The night is long and we are young. Lets take advantage of our youth." 

"Is that you asking me to dance?"

"I never explicitly stated the request but if that is how you choose to interpret my words, I won't object." Vriska laughed and grabbed her hand then took her out to the dance floor.

Kanaya danced in heels with a grace all woman envied. After only a few minutes of showing off her moves she had a circle of people around her. They all swayed to the beat with their eyes trained on her lithe form. It was like watching a ballerina stripper who knew how to shake her booty in time with the beat.

She was only in the center for about two minutes before someone else took her place as she found a girl to get up close and personal with. Their chest were pressed close together while their hips moved in time with the music. When Kanaya found that the girl didn't mind her copping a feel her vampire instincts took over. The smell of alcohol was light on her breath. It was unlikely she drank more than a glass of beer, which was good. Drinking from people who were even slightly tipsy made her feel bad, like she was taking advantage of their weakness. 

Like the lady she was, she at least asked for a name before placing a hand on her waist and gently leading her away from the dance floor. They talked for a bit then decided to move to a more discreet place and suck face for a little bit. 

Their lips were only touching for so long before she started kissing down her neck. Soon she was nipping sucking, and licking at where she had kissed. Then slowly she slid her fangs in. One of her hands was playing with the woman's breast, making sure she felt good while she took her blood. She only took enough to make sure that when with Vriska she wouldn't loose control. Once her hunger was completely satisfied she pulled away, pressing one last kiss to the girl's lips before rooting through her purse to find her phone. 20 minutes, two calls, and a fake story later she had the woman in the hands of a friend who would take care of her.

Now that her hunger was satiated it was time to work on Vriska. She hoped she hadn't been gone long enough for someone else to get their hands on her.

Thankfully the entire time Kanaya was gone Vriska had yet to leave the dance floor. Swiftly she walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. In response Vriska screeched and tried to attack with her other hand but when she twisted and saw it was only Kanaya she relaxed. "Jegus Kanaya! You scared me half to death." she said breathing heavily. The older woman smiled.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't sure how else to go about getting your attention. I've grown tired of dancing. How about we have ourselves a few drinks and talk a little? We've hardly gotten any real hang out time." She subtly tried to slip her arm around Vriska's waist. The other girl looked at her funny but allowed it.

"Uh, sure? I'm getting a little tired too I guess. But weren't you wish some girl?" 

"Yes, but I prefer woman of a different variety. Some say I am too picky, but I can't help it if I only enjoy woman who...offer more resistance when I try to overpower them. Not to say that I force myself on people, no that is a horrible thing to do and I condone no acts similar to such it's just I like a challenge. Someone who doesn't do whatever I say without questioning me. I just dislike it when people are very submissive and...um..oh god that sounds incredibly creepy, doesn't it?" Vriska laughed at her.

"Calm down, calm down! It's fine, I guess I know how you feel. Uh, sorta. Only I'm kind of the opposite." Thanks to Kanaya's last meal she was able to ignore the delicious redness that arose in Vriska's plump face. Had she not gotten that last meal she doubted she'd be able to control herself. It didn't help that seeing Vriska bashful was adorable

As soon as the woman sat down on the bar they heard someone calling for the darker woman. "Heeeey Kenya! Uh, I mean, Kanaya!" Drawled an incredibly drunken voice from behind the counter. Kanaya looked up and raised an eyebrow. 

"Roxy." She greeted flatly. The tone of her voice was slightly condescending and distasteful. While she enjoyed a good drink herself, she didn't approve of Roxy's abuse of the alcohol. Her mistress was an alcoholic and it was a pain for Rose to deal with. She didn't approve of abuse of anything, really. But Roxy was a vampire so she had to at least try and get along with her. Birds of a feather flock together, and all that jazz.

"I saw what you diiiid!" She sang, sauntering closer. "You should have brought me in on the fun! She looked really good." She said wiggling her eyebrows and winking dramatically. Kanaya sighed and shook her head.

"Roxy, please. That's simply barbaric. I don't share my-" Then she remembered Vriska was next to her. The dark woman gulped and fished for an excuse but before she could say anything Roxy spoke up.

"We're talkin' 'bout a hot chick Kanaye scored, before she got you I'm assooming." Roxy looked over at Kanaya and pouted. "That is soooo not fair! Two in one night? Really? Jeez, you're acting kind of rapeioucsh, rapchious, rapacios, whatever. Don't you think? Leave some for the rest of us." 

"Slow down there, honey. I'm not hooking up with Kanaya." Vriska interjected, albeit a bit uncertain. "We're just... friends. And for the record I certainly don't want to get with you." Roxy laughed obnoxiously, looking at her only for a moment before turning to Kanaya. 

"That's cute." She said, softening her voice so Vriska couldn't hear. "So, what's the _real_ deal with her? Gonna drink and bed her, or what?" 

"Actually I just plan on getting her in bed. The snack earlier was to prevent any urges from taking over and spoiling my chances. Please avail and abstain from interjecting yourself in my business. My feelings pertaining this girl are teetering on the edge of lust and more than lust. I'm treating this matter in a most austere manner and I do not need you fucking everything up with your obstinate meddling." The last part came out in a growl that managed to shoot fear deep in Roxy's stomach. She sobered up a bit from pure fear. She knew that when Kanaya got angry, she was dangerous and her facial expression was starting to look quite angry.

Roxy backed away, holding up her hands in surrender. "All right, all right! I'll back off. She's not my type anyway." She said, this time loud enough for Vriska to hear. She blew an over-dramatic kiss at Vriska who bristled like a wet cat. "Anyway, what can I get you two lovelies to drink?" Both woman ordered alcoholic beverages. 

Even if Roxy acted like a drunken fool she was actually quite smart. She remembered their orders without even needing to write them down and brought them out quickly. 

At first Kanaya thought that maybe she shouldn't allowed Vriska to drink, given that she was underage and all, but acting like an unadventurous tightass might hurt her chances at scoring.

Sighing she started to sip at her drink, mentally trying to fight away the more immoral, sex driven part of her brain. In the end she decided that even if she wanted to she couldn't stop Vriska from drinking so why even try to fight it? Instead she decided to take her mind of silly thoughts like that and start talking to her.

At first their conversation was intelligent, they talked about the fashion industry, their struggle getting in (Kanaya might have changed a few details like dates and age) and their favorite brands. Then the conversation dissolved into things more fitting their environment, like gossip and flirting. Then it ended up just being lots of flirting.

Somehow, even though she drank like a sailor, Vriska continued to show no signs of even being tipsy. She did however show lots of signs of being horny. She seemed eager to do anything that would get her skin touching Kanaya's. Asking her to dance, but not where all the other people were.

She kept brushing her arm against the other girl's chest and courageously squeezed her ass once, complimenting it. There were a few times she went so far as to "accidentally" let her boobs slip out of her strapless bra. Kanaya would be lying if she said she wasn't turned on by the sight of her nipple poking through her tank top.

All signs pointed to Vriska wanting to get into bed, but still Kanaya was cautious. If she moved to fast the girl might loose her nerve. She needed to treat the situation delicately. At least, that was what she thought before something happened.

She had left to go to the bathroom and adjust herself a bit then when she came back she saw a husky looking man sitting awfully close to Vriska. Her face twisted in disgust and she started walking over. She could see his hand working his way up her thigh, even though Vriska kept pushing it away. Angry she walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Is there a problem here?" She asked. The question was directed at Vriska. The blonde girl nodded, looking displeased.

"Yeah, this idiot can't take a hint!" she growled, pushing his hand away again. The man looked over his shoulder at Kanaya then turned back to Vriska.

"Get lost, nigger. Girly's just playin' hard to get. Ain't cha sweetheart?" He grinned at her, showing teeth. Vriska glared back at him.

When he tried to put his hand back on the other girls thigh Kanaya took action. She grabbed his wrist then twisted his arm around so it was bent at a painful angle. He howled in pain and tried to get away. Kanaya didn't let up, she only pressed down harder. "Ok, ok! I get it, I'll go! Just let go, fucking christ!" Kanaya smiled, then lifted the man up, bridal style, then tossed him away. He landed pretty hard, but not hard enough to break anything. Then she turned to Vriska.

"This place doesn't have enough class for a couple of fair dames like ourselves. How about we head off?" Kanaya suggested. Vriska was staring at her in awe.

"Yeah, let's do that." Kanaya smirked. There were hearts in the other girl's eyes. She held out her arm which Vriska eagerly grabbed hold of then proceeded to walk out of the establishment with her head held high. There was no way she wouldn't be getting laid tonight.

At one point Vriska complained about her feet being tired. In response Kanaya lifted her up and carried her all the way to her condo, which Vriska absolutely loved. She even took the stairs, carrying her all the while. She looked like she was going to cum in her pants at any moment. Kanaya would need to remember this being dominated kink.

Kanaya wasn't the type of person to make the first move on someone she really liked since she always feared rejection, but that was okay because the second she closed and locked the door Vriska was all over her. Blue lips met plump red, gripping her shirt and pulling her close. If Kanaya hadn't taken it off herself, Vriska probably would have had no qualms about just ripping the thing off herself.

Just as eager as Vriska, but not showing it quite as much, Kanaya started to lead them to her bed. Vriska followed without hesitation. The two women kissed passionately for almost twenty minutes, stripped of shirts and shoes. Their breasts and nipples rubbed together sensually. Vriska seemed to want to hurry things along, but Kanaya liked taking her time. 

Eventually they found a happy medium. The two women would kiss and touch with the passion and force of something meaning to be quick or just a one night stand but avoided touching each others' clit in order to prolong the orgasm. It wasn't until Kanaya had turned Vriska into a pile of horny goo, begging to be touched that the more experience women went down on her. It took less than two minutes for her to reach her climax. Soon after Vriska fell asleep. That was the first night in a long time that Kanaya spent in her bed.


	5. A Girlfriend on a Date

When Vriska woke up the next morning the first sight she was greeted with was a golden brown boob level with her face. She shot up from her former horizontal position, looking around, bewildered. "I see you've finally chosen to return to consciousness. I had started contemplating the forcing you back into the realm of the living." Kanaya stated playing with blond tassels of hair that were spread over her bare stomach. At first Vriska was confused, and a little bit scared from Kanaya's choice of words, but then last night came back to her. She had made a move on Kanaya and surprisingly instead of shoving her away she reciprocated by kissing her back. 

It took her a moment to fight down her blush and regain her confident facade but then her face was as haughty as ever. Even though Kanaya intimidated and unnerved her, for a reason she did not understand, she acted like everything was normal. "Yeeeeeeeeah I usually sleep until reeeeeeeeally late. On most days I don't get up until it's 3 in the afternoon." Idly she stretched her muscles. Kanaya watched her, trying to keep her eyes up on the other girl's face. Vriska noticed her wandering pupils and was about to make a joke about it at before realizing she was naked. Suddenly embarrasment rushed through her and instinctively she covered her naked breasts with her arms. Kanaya smiled.

"I'm sorry, did my staring cause you discomfort? I thought you would be used to such admiring glances. If you wish I can look away until you've covered yourself." She offered placing a hand over her eyes. Vriska rolled her own but didn't object. 

She got up and tried to find her underwear from last night. While she was crawling around on the floor Kanaya peeked through the cracks of her fingers. "If you would like to borrow some clothes instead of recycling your likely sweat laden outfit I'm sure I could scrounge up something relatively your size. I have a plethora of clothing articles in diverse amount of sizes. By the way, I'm still in possession of the sleepwear I promised to make you. If you would like to stick around for a bit trying those on would be a more effective method of dressing. That way if there are any irritants in the garb I can get rid of them now instead of having you travel to your place, wearing them, then realizing that you need to return yet again. Not to say I wouldn't enjoy your company, I most certainly would, but I want for you to have a good nights rest as soon as possible." As she rambled on Vriska looked at her in confusion.

"What the _hell_ are you talking about?" She finally interrupted. Kanaya stopped and looked sheepish.

"Oh dear. It appears I've taken to rambling again. I do so when I am...in intimate situations with those I admire. Sorry. Old habits are difficult to extirpate. My tendency to be overly loquacious in situations where I embarrass myself with a lack of wit is an adamantine trait of which I'd like to rid myself yet often I find myself-"

"Ok. You can shut up now. I get it." She snickered. Kanaya covered her mouth with her hand and felt her 'blood' run faster. She was so embarrassed. Centuries of being alive hadn't been able to smooth out the bumps in her personality.

"I'm sorry." Vriska just laughed. The awkwardness of the other woman seemed to help Vriska loosen up a bit. Acting like she owned the place she started going through drawers, looking for something to wear. "You're pajamas are most likely still sitting in my sewing room. Just go forward then enter the door to your right." The blond did as told.

The door opened up to reveal a room almost as big as her entire apartment. Her eyes widened when she was assaulted with bright tapestries hanging from every wall. Rolls of fabric piled up high in the corners. Scattered throughout the room were desks with various machines on them Vriska assumed were all needed for sewing. Each one had a shrub sitting next to it. Each shrub was styled in an intricate and unique way. 

Along the back wall was a giant notebook with a half finished sketch on it. Vriska checked behind her to make sure the woman wasn't coming in to help the search then started flipping through pages. Along with designs for clothes there also seemed to be things related to topiary. Pages full of generic bushes then the cuts necessary to turn them into something else. Looking through the notebook made Vriska realize she didn't know as much about Kanaya as she thought she did.

When she tried to flip back to the page it had originally been on she was instead greeted by a picture of a girl who looked suspiciously like herself. In fact, there quite a few pictures. Some of them were normal, just her standing next to a tree, but others were much more...lascivious. One was a side view of her on a bed pressing her chest together with her upper arm. One of the appendages snuck down between her thighs, where the viewer could not see. It was obvious what the unseen hand was doing. Vriska realized this wasn't just a drunk one-night stand. Apparently Kanaya had lusted for her for quite some time, judging by the amount of pictures.

Suddenly getting the job made sense. Why else would she hire an amateur? Vriska couldn't decide between being kind of flattered but also worried. What if she messed up? What if Kanaya got tired of her? Was her weight part of why Kanaya liked her? Chewing her lip she tried to think of what course of action to take next.

"Vriska? Have you found them yet? Do you require my assistance?" Her voice rang out clear and loud through the rooms. Vriska could hear her starting to shift in the bed.

"No no! I'm fine! In fact, think I see them!" She shouted, putting her thoughts away and flipping quickly through the notebook pages, trying to act as though nothing was wrong and failing. Kanaya seemed to pick up on her flustered state and started to walk to the room. Vriska abandoned her efforts then looked around hurriedly for the night gown. She found it resting on a pile of other, half sewn, clothes. Kanaya peeked into the room and saw her holding it. "Is it to your liking?" She asked.

Vriska turned it over in her hands. It was _**so**_ soft she just wanted to melt into it and stay there forever. "Yessssssss." She hissed rubbing it against her face. Then she slipped it over her naked form. It hugged her curves nicely and rubbed against her skin in a way that was almost therapeutic. Kanaya stood off to the side, admiring her work. She was clad in an orchid, silk robe.

"Alright then. I'll let you lounge around while I go make us some breakfast." _What are you doing?_ , the voice in Kanaya's head screamed at her. She ignored it, as usual. _You're supposed to send her out now and push her away. She has no place in your life. She's young. You're taking advantage of her naivety. She's going to want to be more than just a fling if you do this._ These thoughts tumbled through her mind, unwanted. But she had always been very logical so no matter how hard she tried to pretend everything was fine, she couldn't. _You don't even remember how to cook._ "Oh hush, you." She mumbled to herself.

The fridge was stocked with freshly bought groceries. Kanaya pulled out some random items hoping her skills would come back to her. 'I was a kitchen slave for years it is not as though I've never made a meal...' she thought to herself. But as she stared at the cooking utensils she remembered that times had changed and she had no idea how much. Gulping she tried to put together some semblance of a breakfast. 

Ten minutes into her adventure Vriska wandered into the kitchen. "Is something bur...ning." She was greeted with the sight of a thoroughly confused Kanaya trying to pry burnt eggs and toast from a pan. She rushed over to turn off the burner then tried to get Kanaya away from the eggs. "How about I cook instead?" Kanaya's blood ran so fast that she felt heat rise in her cheeks. This girl was really good at making her feel human. 

Embarrassed she sat down at the small table in her kitchen. Eating facilities were incredibly small compared to the rest of her house due to it being the least used. In fact, the bathroom was larger than the kitchen. Vriska had little room to move around, but she was used to that.

Within thirty-five minutes there was what could probably pass as a gourmet meal in front of Kanaya. A large, fluffy cheese and bacon omelet sat next to two pieces of perfectly cooked french toast, which were drizzled in maple syrup. Next to the french toast were a couple strips of seared steak. Some cold fruit was scattered around the plate in a way that looked exceptionally tasteful, even to Kanaya. The only thing that could make the breakfast better would be a nice long drink from Vriska's neck.

As soon as that thought popped up Kanaya squashed them down with her mind. No. She had had enough last night. There was no need for her to drink again.

Across from her sat Vriska, with the exact same meal, ready to dig in. But before she could Kanaya started to talk. "This meal looks amazing. I wasn't even aware I had the necessities for such a feast located in my kitchen. How is it you attained the qualities of a skilled chef? Types like you often can barely cook for themselves, let alone two people. Not to say I haven't met models before with cooking talents before, it's just they normally they can only concoct meals of the "health-food" variety, which isn't how I fancy beginning my morning. Not that I make a habit of bringing home models and having them cook breakfast for me! I just...um." Vriska laughed and waved her off.

"Calm doooooooown! You always get so flustered for no reason." She teased pointing her fork at the darker woman then she started rolling a grape around her plate with said fork, watching with absorption, as though it was the most interesting thing she had encountered. She seemed to be mulling over her answer, so Kanaya was polite and decided not to press further. Instead she started to cut up her breakfast, chewing each bit slowly before swallowing. There was no physical need for her to eat, but it wasn't something she _couldn't_ do. However the act often left her stomach hurting if she ate at a normal pace.

Vriska licked her lips then opened her mouth. Kanaya put down her eating utensils and watched with rapt attention. Given how long it had taken her to answer, there was a relatively important answer to her question. "Back at home I was basically the runner of things. Not to say my mom was neglectful or anything but, housework? Nah, not her thing. I did all the cooking and cleaning and washing up until I left. Now I'm really good at all that stuff, even though I'd rather not be." Kanaya cocked her head, confused.

"But, I was under the impression you had a sister. Why were you the one enthralled by responsibility for your household?" Vriska dropped her fork. Her entire body was tense. Her face dark, and nearing angry. Kanaya felt a shiver of fear, and something a bit more lecherous, run through her. 

"I don't really want to talk about it." She muttered, picking back up her fork. Kanaya looked at her, with pity shining clear in her eyes, and also a spark of interest. It turned out there was more to her than meets the eye.

Being alive for so long, and meeting so many people meant she had heard all sorts of sob stories, learned plenty interesting histories, and even had a past of her own. Yet, for some reason, she was intrigued. She felt herself being pulled towards Vriska. Deep down she had known that she wouldn't be satisfied with just one night with Vriska. Now it was evident. 

Biting her lip, she tried to push down her almost carnal desires so she could console the girl across from her who she had upset. She walked around the table to the other side then started to rub her back. Vriska looked up, a bit confused, then was met with Kanaya's lips. The older woman caressed her cheek with a gentle hand, running her thumb across the plump flesh. Vriska returned the kiss, trying not to seem too eager, and failing. The kiss lasted about thirty seconds. When Kanaya pulled away Vriska was red faced and panting.

"You're really good at that." She said, grinning again. Kanaya smiled back.

"I'm glad you find my kissing abilities to be adequately adept. I'm sure a girl as wonderful as yourself has kissed her fair share of expertise lips. And by that I of course am not trying to call you a "slut" or anything. I was just trying to convey my feelings of appreciation towards your beauty." Vriska started laughing.

"Shut up already! I get it, I get it. I think you're hot stuff too." Then the blond's eyes shifted downward. "So...is this going to just be a one time thing, friends with benefits, or what?" Kanaya retreated back to her seat then sat across from Vriska looking her straight in the eye.

"Actually I was hoping that you would grant me the honor of making you my..."girlfriend". But if you would prefer not to that is fine." Vriska slammed her hands down on the table.

"Woah, slow down there. Are you kidding me? I'd love to be your girlfriend!" She said excitedly. Kanaya smiled gently then started cutting up her food and eating again. A minute passed before she said anything.

"Wonderful. I believe a date is in order to celebrate. We should go somewhere classy, and try out more of those clothes." Vriska's grin fell. Kanaya quirked an eyebrow. "Is something wrong with what I suggested?" she asked, curiously. 

Vriska shook her head but her facial expression implied that it was a bigger deal than she wanted to make out of it. For a moment Kanaya was tempted to just ignore the problem, but then her conscious got the better of her. She stood up, grabbing her chair with her hands and keeping it attached to her butt, then she walked around the table and sat down next to Vriska. The blond watched her all the time, trying to stifle laughter. "Every time I get slightly intimidated my you status you do something dorky like that." Kanaya looked down at the chair clenched in her hands. 

"Well, how else am I suppose to console you when it comes to a topic you refuse to enlighten me on? I figured physical comforts were the best way to go about this situation." Vriska giggled lightly them rested her head on Kanaya's shoulder. The darker woman stiffened at first, not sure how to react. Slowly she relaxed and laid her head down on the her girlfriend's head. 

They stayed like that for a while. Just enjoying the pleasure that came from being in eachothers' company. While they sat like that their minds raged with thoughts about their new relationship. Kanaya wasn't sure how the vampire community would take it. A lot of vampires had a problem with that fact that she interacted with humans at all. For some reason they thought of themselves as better than the rest. However despite their blatant dislike of the human world no one ever tried to stop Kanaya, instead they helped her. Weaving threads through the underground that allowed her to have a job as a fashion designer. She was very powerful and had plenty of rumors surrounding her. For example the story of how she got turned into a vampire. 

Vampires thought of it was more of an urban legend due to the fact that it was full of holes and things that made no sense. The main part of the story everyone remembered, and that she was mostly known for, was the part where after being turned into a vampire she "ripped the vampire who turned her in half with her bare hands". 

Actually, she had used a chainsaw.

While Kanaya pondered her other life she didn't noticed Vriska gulfing down both there plates. Even if he had noticed she wouldn't have minded but Vriska didn't know that so she wolfed down the meals as quietly and inconspicuously as possible. 

Once the plates were empty Vriska stood up and stretched. She rubbed her stomach contently, sighing. "Now that I'm awake and full of food I'm ready to head home." She started wandering in the direction of Kanaya's sewing workshop. "So, there should be something in here that's my size, right?" Kanaya chuckled at how comfortable she had made herself.

"Yes. Most of the completed clothes are hanging up on the walls. Look for something that seems your size and try it on. If it appears to be unstable I would recommend not pushing it though. Sometimes things aren't quiet as together at the seams as one would at first assume. You never know when everything could suddenly fall apart." Her eyes were lidded as she said this, staring meaningfully at Vriska's dark blue, almost hoping she would notice the second meaning to her words. Something flickered across her eyes then suddenly she seemed very nervous.

"Uh yeah. Okay. I'll keep that in mind." Then she scurried off in the direction of Kanaya's workshop. The dark woman didn't let her mind linger on the strange expression that had adorned Vriska's face. There would come a time for delving into pasts but now was no that time. Now was a time for happy feelings and planning dates.

* * *

While Vriska was home picking out an outfit ("Make sure it's something formal. We're going somewhere nice.") Kanaya was busy making phone calls. It wasn't often that she actually called ahead since she was fairly big, especially underground, when it came to upper class New York but she needed everything to be perfect. She wanted Vriska to stick around and that meant lavishing her with gifts else the blond might slip right through her fingers. It wouldn't be the first time.

At some point she got sidetracked by Dirk. Reservations had been made but she wasn't sure what outfit to wear so she called him up hoping for advice but as usual they got caught up in a heated debate. She was in only her panties when she heard a knock on the door. "Fuck." She sat up suddenly and stumbled to her feet. "Shut up for a second Dirk, I think the sound of a door bell just passed through my auditory canal." There was another ring.

Fumbling the woman began dressing herself while simultaneously ranting at Dirk about her state of dress. "I should have known better than to contact you while in a situation such as this. It is very seldom that any actual advice is able to surface through the word vomit you insist on pouring down my ears. Why is it you feel the need to have such a loquacious speech pattern? A majority of the things you say are hardly pertinent to whatever conversation is at hand and futhermore..." As she talked, holding her phone between her shoulder and ear she buttoned up a tan blouse with short sleeves. Over the blouse she wore a tight burnt sienna blazer with one button in the middle and a gold belt around her waist. Then she slipped into a long, dark green pencil skirt. 

"I'll see you soon, Kanaya. Try not to trip over yourself to much." Then he hung up before Kanaya could continue talking. She sighed, then placed her phone in the pocket of her skirt along with other necessities, like money and ID.

By the time she got to the door Vriska had gotten fed up with waiting and began pressing the doorbell repeatedly. When she opened the door she was surprised to see Vriska was not irate, instead she just seemed nervous.

"Hey." She greeted, holding her hands behind her back. Kanaya unabashedly drank in her form. Hugging her curves was a red wrap dress that fell just above her knees. Green orbs traveled down her figure, stopping for a long time on her legs before going further down and seeing red sneakers on her feet. Vriska visibly cringed at her reaction. Before Kanaya could berate her on poor fashion choices Vriska took her hands from behind her back and held out a pair of black strappy heels. "I, uh, couldn't get them on." She said blushing.

Kanaya's face softened, and she allowed herself a small smile. "Honestly Vriska? I was under the impression that you were a big girl who could tie up your laces yourself." Blushing Vriska turned up her nose.

"Shut up, Kanaya! These things are waaaaaaaay too complicated, it's not my fault I can't figure it out."

Silently the older woman took her by the hand, after closing the front door, and led her over to one of the lush, purple couches in her living room. After sitting the blond down she got down on her knees and with dainty fingers she unlaced her sneakers. As if handling fine china she slipped off the shoe and peeled off the sock, handling each item carefully. Her intent was to make Vriska feel as cherished as possible. Judging by her flushed face and facial expression, which was a mix between pleasure and embarrassment, she was succeeding. 

After dragging out the process of lacing up her heels Kanaya took her lovers soft, white hand in her own dark, calloused one. For a moment she stared at them. Vriska coughed, trying to catch her attention. "What the heck are you looking at?" she asked when Kanaya didn't look up. Her voice was filled with warmth and happiness when she answered.

"Oh nothing. Just admiring the contrast." She blinked a few times then lifted her head up again. "Well, if we stand around here for too long we will be late for our appointment and Dirk does not appreciate when things do not go as planned. Let us traverse post-haste." Then she started walking quickly, as though on her feet were not a pair of high, gold stilleto heels. Vriska stumbled behind her, trying desperately not to fall and look like a loser.

Vriska groaned when she realized Kanaya was planning on making her walk even more. Obviously she was okay with walking, she lived in New York after all, but she was _not_ used to walking in heels. "Kanayaaaaaaaa." She whined grabbing her arm and pressing her chest against it. The darker woman turned her green eyes to her. "I'm tiiiiiiiired of walking. Do you think you cold carry me like you do last night? Pleeeeeeeease?" She asked. Without missing a beat she swooped her up in her arms and carried her bridal style. 

"Of course. How could I refuse a request from my beautiful girlfriend?" Vriska giggled and wrapped her arms around Kanaya's neck as she continued walking. It hardly felt real for Vriska, as if she were in a dream. She felt like soon she would wake up in her bed back home and everything she experienced would have just been an illusion. She mentioned this to Kanaya who smiled.

"What a fatuous thing to dread. I assure you I am very much alive and existing. The whole world does not revolve around you." Normally Vriska would have been offended because, though she had many undesirable traits she was NOT self centered, but the way Kanaya said it, in a matter-of-fact manner lace with fondness, Vriska could hardly take offense. Kanaya was right. There was no way she could imagine such an intricate world full of people with their own stories and everyday lives. In fact comparing the current world to a dream was almost offensive to all the people she came across and most of all Kanaya. She was not a dream, she was real. Her skin, cold and colloused, was cradling her. There was no other feeling like being in Kanaya's arms and lest she had felt it she would not be able to imagine it. He sighed and nestled her blond head against Kanaya's perky round chest, resting. 

Above her Kanaya stared ahead, making sure she didn't accidentally hit anyone with Vriska's feet, which stuck out a bit. In her arms she felt the blond's breathing slow. She wondered if the blond could feel that she was not breathing at all. There was no thumping of her heart, which given the situation probably would have been racing. Just a hollow, empty chest full of dead organs only preserved by a clear liquid that kept her alive against her will.

When they reached their destination Kanaya left Vriska sleeping. She carried her in and showed her off like a prize. "Look what I got!" Said her arms as they thrusted towards Dirk. "My very own girlfriend. Look how beautiful she is and lovely she is!" Though she did not speak Dirk could read her motions easily. He laughed at the childish way she carried Vriska over to a chair, siting her down like a mother sits a child in a crib. 

"Vriska. We've arrive." She whispered in her ear, lightly papping her face. Groggily Vriska roused from her sleep. It was not graceful. Her eye opened a crack then she wiggled around, trying to readjust herself to fall asleep again before changing her mind and facing forward again. She stretched as if she were wearing sweat pants and a tshirt, unmindful of her exposed lower regions. The tops off her dress slipped down, almost completely reveling her bra cup and more cleavage than she intended to show. 

"She's a keeper." Dirk chirped. Kanaya jabbed him with her elbow. 

"Hush. I'd like to see how you fare after a twenty minute nap while being contorted by the curve of your lovers arms. Just wait a moment. Once she gets her bearings together you'll find she's wonderful company." Dirk raised his hands I'm surrender. 

"Calm down. I was speaking from the heart. She bears quite a likeness to that other girl you were in love with. What was her name...Ardia? The one who was a... You know." 

"A what?" Asked Vriska rubbing at her eyes. She blinked a couple times and started up at Dirk. Before he could answer she started laughing at him. Above his pointy shades a perfectly shaped blond eyebrow arose.

"Yep. Definitely a keeper." He said patting Kanaya on the back before going off to get the necessary supplies.

* * *

The next couple of hours were spent in salon chairs as Dirk pampered the two of them. Despite the fact that he rarely did any hands on work he was still quicker than the most experienced hair dressers. Everyone watched with a mixture of envy and awe as he simultaneously washed Vriska and Kanaya's air before blowing it out and then styling.

Since Kanaya was a patron Dirk already knew how her hair worked, but Vriska was a new challenge. For a couple minutes he just stood there, staring. The blond started to feel uncomfortable under is piercing gaze but Kanaya assured her it was all part of the process of sprucing her up.

Once he got started Vriska was constantly complaining about how it hurt. "That's not _my_ fault, honey. Your hair is gorgeous but it's about as kept as the nest of a newly widowed rat. She's got so much shit on her plate she can't waste her time making sure her home even adequately resembles an acceptable rat living space. Before she even finishes blinking the litter of baby rats have somehow gotten the bedroom inside the kitchen and the basement on the roof. She should hire a sitter or something."

"What is he talking about?" Vriska asked, leaning over towards Kanaya. The darker woman shrugged as she flipped through a fashion magazine.

"I'm never really sure. For the most part I tune him out and hope I don't miss anything important. It's rare I do." Vriska laughed and Dirk huffed.

"Fine I see how it is. I suppose I might as well close down my mouth since no one seems to be interested in what it manufactures."

"I swear to god, if you start comparing your vow of silence to a company moving down to Mexico to find cheaper workers I will shove my fist so far down your throat the CEO, who in this metaphor represents your brain, will feel somehow feel it gripped around him." Hardly phased by her threat Dirk petted her hair back and laughed.

"Ah, Ms. Maryam, you know me all too well." He stated before going quiet and focusing on their hair. 

It took him longer than he thought it would for him to finish up Vriska's hair. When he was done the "widowed mother rat's nest" was a shower of neatly curled gold. Dirk said something about him being a modern day Rumpelstiltskin, curling straw into gold. "Instead of giving me your first born I'll settle for just taking your 'King'." He said taking the hand of Kanaya and kissing it. She laughed richly and snatched her hand back.

"No, no. It would be rude to betray the poor Miller's Daughter by taking away her prize. I'm sorry Mr. Rumpelstiltskin but you'll have to look elsewhere for that first born." Dirk sighed like a teenager whose mother had just told them they couldn't go to a party.

"Oh my god, fiiiiiiiine. Take your princess and leave! But, not after proper payment. You can't just expect to take me from my managerial duties for four hours and walk out without at least giving me some sort of compensation for my services." As if she was thinking of a way to weasel her way out of the deal she began stroking her chin.

"Hmmm. And is money the _only_ way I can pay you back, Mr. Strider." She asked, wiggling her eyebrows. 

"I don't know. What other means of payback can you provide my weary soul?" He asked smirking suggestively. Suddenly the smirk disappeared. "Actually, it would probably be better if you just gave me the money then continued on your date." Dirk said seriously. She cocked her head in confusion at his sudden refusal to play along but then he nodded behind her, a movement so subtle she barely saw it. Glancing back she saw Vriska standing awkwardly, and angrily, looking like a jelous third wheel. 

Kanaya's felt a shock of embarrassment as she realized her girlfriend had somehow become the odd one out on their date. She could feel Dirk resisting the urge to laugh at her as she fished money out of her bra in an attempt to start wooing Vriska again, as fast as possible.

As the too of them stepped out, looking even more fabulous than before, Dirk blew them kisses, wishing them the best of luck.

Vriska was surprised to find that a limo had been waiting for their arrival. She rushed in, her eyes shining, not even waiting for the door to be completely opened. Kanaya walked in with much more dignity, mainly because she wasn't nearly as happy to be inside an enclosed moving machine. She had never gotten used to cars, and was sure she never would.

After the joy of being in a limo died down a little bit Vriska sat quietly next too Kanaya. She traced circles on the leather seat, looking like she wanted to say something. "Hey, uh, Kanaya?"

"Yes?"

"You and Dirk...did you guys used to be a thing or...?" If Kanaya had a drink in her hand or mouth she probably would have spilled it all over the limo's interior.

"Oh god, no. Dirk is a wonderful friend and I love him but...for us to date or copulate or anything truly romantic wouldn't work. The level of gay reached by the two of us can only be measured in rainbow colored unicorns that taste of fruit. Dirk scores and 11 on that scale because eleven is the equivalent of gay sex in the number world. You could even go as far as to say he scores an 111. Or maybe even 1111. Those are gay orgies. I'm a 000 because zero is the genric shape of a vagina therefore making it the number equivalent of lesbian sex, understand?" Red spread through her face like a fire, making her eyes pop out even more. They looked like the hot blue at the bottom of a red flame.

"Uh, yeah. I think I get it." Then Kanaya kissed her chastely on the lips. It was soft and short, but full of all her feelings and assurances. Her lips tingled with desire and more but she forced herself to pull back, she didn't want to overwhelm Vriska. "Yeah...I think I've got it."

They talked and drove for a while more before they reached a place where Kanaya told the man to stop. Vriska was frozen. The place looked way too fancy for her. Next to her Kanaya appeared, with her hand held out. "Well, milady?" She asked waiting for the other to step out. The other girl was shaking, but Kanaya was kind enough not to mention it.

"Kanaya...this is too much! There's noooooooo possible way I'll be able to pay you back for all this money you're spending. I bet I can't afford to pay for a single thing on this menu!!!!!!!! I don't think I'll be able to make up for it." Kanaya furrowed her brow in confusion.

"What on earth are you talking about? There's no need for you to "make up" for anything. I'm fine with paying the whole bill."

"Yeah, I get that but, I don't think I'm _skilled_ enough to, you know. Give you your monies worth." Kanaya was appalled by the train of thought the younger girl had. Did she think honestly think Kanaya was some sort of Sugar Mamma?

"We're _dating_ Vriska." She said with emphasis on the dating part. "This is as much a treat for me as it is for you. The only thing you owe me is a good time and that can be achieved by you just being yourself. You are not indebted to me by any sense of the word. The mere fact you think you need to repay me with favors of any kind is ludicrous." Vriska's blue eyes welled up with tears that didn't spill over, they just made her eyes watery.

"Oh." Was all she could say.

Kanaya found it ironic how earlier she had been comparing the blue of her eyes to that of a fire, but now that they were drowning in salty water instead of being doused out they appeared more inflamed. Softly she gave Vriska another kiss.

"Please put those worries out of your head and focus on the food, okay?" Vriska nodded.

* * *

Once Vriska had gotten over her worries in their economic gap she was able to loosen up and act like normal. The two woman had lots of fun. The setting was romantic and relaxed, yet still very formal. For the most part it felt like they were the only two their, until their waiter came with food.

All in all the women had a great time on their date and it was only the beginning of many more to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea when I'm going to update this again. There should be like 2 more chapters and an Epilogue.


	6. A Partner in a crisis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG. I've already got the next chapter planned out so it shouldn't take NEARLY as long.
> 
> Also thanks to believemeitsbutter.tumblr.com for editing!

After their first date Kanaya and Vriska went on many more. The two women became practically inseparable. They could hardly keep their hands off eachother when alone. Often their affection spilled outside the walls of privacy. When in public Kanaya kept a protective arm around Vriska's waist and pulled her close if she thought someone was eying her. Although she wouldn't admit it, the action made Vriska feel more loved and protected than she ever thought possible. 

It wasn't often that Kanaya's flat was devoid of company. Ever since Vriska's first visit she came back as often as possible, taking advantage of the lavish living space. Kanaya didn't mind at all. It was kind of a hassle for Kanaya to make sure her fridge and cupboards stayed stocked with food, and things would often go bad without Kanaya noticing, but the price was worth the profit. She had plenty of money to spend anyway. 

One day Kanaya was pondering the idea of asking Vriska to permanently move in with her. Chances were the other woman would jump on the suggestion, after all her own apartment was nothing special. Vriska was always self conscious about her state of living and often cracked jokes about how crumby home was. Kanaya never understand why she felt the need to do so, since it would have made more sense to just not draw attention to the fact she could barely support herself. She quickly learned not taking things seriously was a coping method of hers. She tried not to indulge it. Instead she kept Vriska at her home as often as possible. 

The only time Vriska left Kanaya’s apartment were a few days a month when she wrongly interpreted her presence as the reason for Kanaya becoming irritable. The real reason was usually because Kanaya was not feeding. When Vriska was around she often forgot to. The pang of inhumanity never came when she was engaged in playful banter with Vriska. It was fun watching the girl blush and fluster at her teasing. Those were the moments Kanaya never wanted to end. She hoped that if she invited Vriska to live with her that they wouldn't have too. 

One day she was pondering the idea when an unexpected visitor knocked on her door. At first she thought it was Vriska, coming back after a few days of separation but upon opening the door she saw a shock of hair and eyes lacking pigmentation, a common trait among vampires. 

"Karkat!" she exclaimed in surprise, "To what do I owe this visit? It's been quite some time since we last had a conversation. How have you been faring since then? I hope you've been eating a sufficient amount. It seems you've managed to shrink even more than last time I saw you. I know the emaciation of your stomach is something I promised not to dwell on, but allowing your muscle to diminish is dangerous given your line of work. It's a wonder what made the Condescension take a liking to you in the first place. Not that it's you whose faults would hinder a blooming relationship.She is just so very picky and power obsessed I always assumed she'd go for a more... muscular fellow. Someone as shallow as her. Or should I say, shellow. That wasn't a very funny pun, actually. In my head it sounded a great deal more clever and just calling her shallow itself is a reference to water if you think about it. Perhaps I should have compared her to a kiddy pool, or another small and equally degrading object which often contains water like-" 

A cold hand clamped over her mouth. 

"Kanaya, I love you, but for the love of god _shut the hell up_." He shouted, as per usual. Volume control wasn't one of his strong suits. 

Ignoring the fact that his hand obscured her voice to the point of complete unintelligibility, Kanaya kept talking. Karkat eventually took his hand away so he could at least understand her. 

"Sorry. I'm just so happy to see you my words started to get away from me. You know how it is. Anyway, back to my earlier question, to what do I owe this visit? It must be a matter of business given you never pay your dear, old mother a _friendly_ visit." She started to lead him over to her couch and sit him down. 

Karkat couldn’t help but smile when Kanaya called herself his “dear old mother,” despite the nature of his visit. A majority of vampires referred to Kanaya as Karkat's mother. Even though she hadn't been the one to turn him, she had taught him all the ropes. Kanaya remembered their time together fondly. 

When Karkat first became a vampire he wouldn’t hunt at all; he didn't want to hurt anybody with his newfound strength and severe lack of experience. The vampire who had turned him left him alone and confused. Most of all Karkat was scared, of himself and other vampires. When Kanaya found him, nearly a decade and a half ago, he was curled up in the gutters of New York trying to starve himself to death, which was a futile effort. Whenever vampires went to long without blood chemicals were released in their brain which caused them to rely on pure instinct. Had he been successful in his endeavors to go that long without food he would have ended up causing even more damage. When Kanaya told him this, a year or so later, he starting to cry. 

For the next few months she nursed him back to health. While he was too weak to even stand, she would rest him somewhere near her hunting ground while she went out to find food. She fed him by filling her mouth with blood then let him drink from her mouth, like she a mother bird. Once he gained enough strength to move on his own she taught him how to drink without killing or turning and which targets would suffer the least. Without her Karkat wouldn't be the man he is now: Head threshucutioner and best friend to the Empress. There were rumors that they were even more. 

Kanaya understood that he was too busy with work to visit her, but she still wished he would come by more often. At the very least he could send her a letter. 

"Quiet. I'm here on business, meaning I'm your superior. Treat me like it." 

"Oh yeah, I'm so very sorry. How could I ever forget that I'm speaking to a character so near royalty. The very fact that I let you in my door without first groveling at your feet and thanking your for the honor is a complete disgrace. Please, Sir Maryam, forgive me." Kanaya sneered. 

Karkat rolled his eyes at her sarcasm. 

"Stop calling me that." He hissed. "I'm changing my last name soon so you can stop playing that stupid 'mother' card. It's really fucking creepy." He complained. A small smile graced Kanaya's features as she stood up and walked to the kitchen. 

"Oh is it now?" She asked, heading to the fridge and fishing out a bottle of wine which she spiked with blood. It helped with the pain that crippled her when she was too lazy to go out and search for food. Sometimes she drank it for fun however. "Do you remember when I first found you Karkat? And how you had to retrieve your nourishment? You were like a little baby bird." She cooed. 

"Why the hell are you bringing that up?" He retorted. 

When Kanaya walked back into the room with only one glass, instead of two. His eyes widened. 

"No." He said flatly. That didn't deter the woman. 

"Come on, Karkat. It's been so long since you've indulged me in any mother son activities. The least you can do is share a glass." she said, sitting far too close to him for his liking. 

He scooted away and growled. "There is nothing parental about sharing a _mouth_ of wine. That's fucking disgusting!" 

Kanaya ignored him and poured the wine. 

"No, Kanaya. I'm not drinking the shit with you." 

She took a sip, making sure the taste was still good, eying him all the while. 

"I'm serious Kanaya! I'm not doing this!" 

Then she took a mouthful and gestured for Karkat to come closer with her finger. Slowly he scooted towards her, scowling all the while as she placed her fingers around his chin to keep him steady. She hovered over his face before pressing her lips against his and opening his mouth, hers was only opened a small bit. She let the wine trickle out through her lips and in between Karkat's. He allowed the drink to run over his tongue before he swallowed it. This continued on until her mouth was empty, then she took another mouth full and repeated. 

After the fourth mouthful Karkat pulled away. "Okay, okay. I'm full. Now, back to business." he took a deep breath and looked away from Kanaya. "So, Meenah-" 

"I think you mean Her Imperial Condescension." Karkat glared at her. "So _Her Imperial Condescension_ was talking to me about how you're dating a human and how that pissed her off because you know she's got that plan to overthrow the humans because they're inferior blah blah and the vampire population is getting too high blah blah basically long story short you've got to break up with Vriska because she's a 'threat' or I've got to kill you both." 

The last line caused Kanaya's heart to thump. Partially because of the idea of breaking up with Vriska, but mainly because Karkat's threat was essentially a direct threat from the Condesce herself. Because of Kanaya's ties to humans, The Condesce was not too fond of her. Sending Karkat to give her a warning was a serious threat, and she knew that even if Karkat couldn't really carry out the deed The Condesce would find someone else who would. 

"Is that so?" Kanaya put down the half full glass of wine she had been holding and pursed her lips. "Honestly I should be surprised she didn't call earlier. A simple one night stand can cause her to throw a fit. How she manages to run this "empire" while still such a child, I'll never know." 

" _Kanaya_." Karkat hissed. "Stop talking about her like that! I'm jeopardizing my fucking job just being here. She wanted me to kill you both straight off the bat; it took a lot of coaxing to convince her to just let you break it off. Please don't make this anymore difficult than it has to be." he pleaded. Kanaya sighed and conceded to back off the Condesce bashing. After all he had trusted her enough to confirm the rumors of their soon to be engagement. It was rude of her to be so insensitive. 

"Anyway, how long do I have to break up with her?" 

"Meenah said you've got a week to have her completely out of your life, meaning you're probably going to have to relocation." 

Kanaya groaned, exasperated and rubbed her temples. "You have got to be shitting me. Relocating is so much work. Wouldn't it be more practical to just allow me to clean up this mess?" 

"She doesn't trust that you to stop seeing her after you break up. Plus she's a model so you might run into her at work and come on is it really that hard to just leave? You've been in New York for like twenty years now. It's time for a little change anyway." Karkat stood up. "Well, you know what you've got to do. She probably sent out some guys to stalk you so no funny business. I'll just see myself out." As suddenly as he arrived, he left her to ponder her love life alone. 

Breaking up with Vriska was obviously out of the question. She wasn't going to give up a relationship as good as the one she has with Vriska so easily. Perhaps years down the road they would grow apart but for the moment she wanted lavish herself in the bliss. Turning Vriska crossed her mind but that was certain to get them both culled. Defying the Condesce in any way was certain to get them culled. The real question was how to keep their relationship continued and a secret. 

The more she thought about it the more angry she got. She realized there was literally no way for her to even talk to Vriska without someone finding out. The Condesce would probably have her phones wired and assign people to watch over her, waiting for a reason to off her. Judging by how the Condesce was taking more action by outright threatening her she realized she needed to stop pushing her luck by sticking around A vampire as in tune with morality as she had no place in the Condesce's world. It was only a matter of time before some petty crime had Karkat coming after her. 

The only choice she had was to run away. She had to get out of the Condesce’s reach, for the time being at least. It was possible the Condesce would reach her one day, but she would prolong that inevitability as long as possible. 

Running away wouldn’t be easy, however. There were a plethora of items necessary to even leave the country and she had no idea how to acquire any of them. Illegally, that is. 

It was time to take a visit to Dirk. 

She had been slouching around her flat in old jeans and a t-shirt, so before leaving the house she went to her room to put on "work clothes". 

After a couple of hours of dicking around her walk in closet she finally found something suitable for the day. A strapless plum purple dress hugged her curves and fell down pass her knees. Over the dress she wore a redish blue blazer. A pair of black stiletto pumps graced her feet. She covered her face with a pair of purple tinted sunglasses to hide the thick bags that formed under her eyes from not sleeping. She painted her lips with blood red lipstick. 

Once she was satisfied with her looks she packed what she needed into a purse then left to for her normal hair salon. 

On the way there her thoughts were rushing a mile a minute. Besides her sorrow for her lost love, she also felt anger toward the Condesce. There were plenty of vampires she knew were getting away dating humans. None of them got the death penalty. Keeping vampires a secret was a petty law really, like littering. Most vampires revealed themselves to humans they trusted or loved. The only reason the Condesce was coming after her specifically was to put on a show. 

In the vampire world Kanaya was considered a celebrity. There wasn’t a reason for her fame, really. It was just a side effect of being the “mother” of the Empress’s fiancé, not to mention the youngest threshecutioner that the Empress had ever taken under her wing. Normally the Condesce didn’t bat an eyelash at anyone younger than five hundred years, but Karkat had somehow caught her eye. This obviously led to rumors and questions about who had raised such a great warrior. Despite their snobbish attitude towards humans, vampires were just as bad, if not worse, when it came to “juicy celebrity gossip.” 

After the vamparazzi found out about Kanaya they wouldn’t leave her alone. It got so bad she one day snapped and slaughtered a whole group of them. No one messed with her directly anymore. Peixis attempted to recruit her for her army after learning about her talents, but Kanaya outright refused. No matter what the Empress offered her she did not want to wage war with the humans. This angered the Empress so much she held a permanent grudge against Kanaya, which exhausted her to no end. The unnecessary tension between them wore Kanaya out. 

In a few desperate attempts to win Kanaya over the Empress had even sent out spies to figure out what she had to do to convince the girl to join. Eventually the whole ordeal spiraled out of control and became a matter of injured pride and nothing more. 

Sometimes Kanaya thought it would have been easier to just join her army. Infamy in the vampire world was such a hassle. She often whined to Dirk about it. 

When Dirk crossed her mind she remembered where she was heading. She sped up a little, anxious to explain her troubles to Dirk. He was the only human who would be able to understand her predicament. Vampires were common in his family for some reason. They weren't a family of vampires, just a family full of them, and most of them weren't blood related. The family was known for adopting orphans, like Dirk, then changing them when they reached a certain age. Roxy had been the one to find Dirk and take role of his mother. 

However she wasn't so great at her job. Often she had to ask for Kanaya's advice and for Kanaya to babysit him and they essentially raised him together. This didn't stop him from treating them less like mothers and more like his best friends, although it was obvious he held Kanaya with greater respect. He once told her he'd do anything to help keep her safe. She hoped this still rang true as she walked through the door into the salon. 

* * *

The minute she walked in Dirk could tell it wasn't a normal visit. Kanaya exuded an aura Dirk knew meant business. He rushed her to the back room where the flood of drama spilled out her mouth. She started rambling at sixty miles an hour explaining the whole situation to him, then she explained her plan, which wasn't much of a plan. While she talked Dirk went through the normal motions of washing and styling her hair. Vampires were common in his family so he was able to follow along easily as she talked about the complexities of vampire laws and how she planned to get around them. 

"Where do I come into the equation?” he asked when she finally stopped talking. 

”I need you to provide me with fake passports, plane tickets, money converted to the standard of wherever we got, and...Perhaps decoys? It would be a good idea to have some disguises as well." She muttered, mostly to herself. Suddenly Dirk tugged on her hair. "Ouch!" 

"Oh my god, Kanaya can I give you extensions? The long curly kind? Those would look soooo good on you. You know it's true." Kanaya rolled her eyes. 

"Those aren't practical at all. Say we do get caught and they use my hair as leverage?" Dirk gave Kanaya a look. 

"You literally only wear skirts and heels. I have never seen you in pants. Ever. And you're saying long hair is impractical." 

"Yes." 

Dirk groaned and continued combing through her hair. For some reason it was full of tangles. "By the way, you're due for another relaxer. Do you want me to do that now or...?" 

“Yes please." 

They spent the next few hours talking about plans while Dirk worked on her hair, rubbing in the chemicals. By the time they were done Kanaya's hair looked fierce. She took a deep breath, trying to get ready to face the conversation of a life time. She felt jittery and nervous. She’d never exposed herself to a human before. No humans without prior knowledge of vampires at least. She had no idea how Vriska would react. 

* * *

When she got to Vriska's apartment the blond already had one foot out the door, looking ready to go out for a walk. The way her face brightened when she saw Kanaya made her stomach turn. 

_She won't look at you that way once she learns the truth,_ whispered the feral voice inside her, whom hadn't spoken in quite a while. The idea of losing Vriska had awakened it. 

"I have something to tell you." Kanaya stated succinctly, quelling the emotions rising in her. If she wanted Vriska to be calm, she would have to act calm as well. The terse tone in her voice didn't seem to be off-putting to Vriska. She smiled even wider. 

"Ooooh, what is it?" Vriska asked, walking further out the door. Kanaya put a gentle hand on her chest and pushed her back in. 

"I'd prefer if we talked in your apartment. It's very important." Kanaya replied in a hushed tone. Vriska looked confused, but complied. They both sat down on the loveseat she had in front of her small TV. 

"What I'm about to say is going to shock you, but please do not run away. If you do it could endanger your life." Vriska's facial expression was a mixture of confusion, apprehension, and incredulousness. 

"Okay. For a long time I have been deceiving you and using chicanery to fool you into believing I am a completely straight forward and honest person. This is not the case. While I do pride myself on being sincere a majority of the time, with few sarcastic words slipping into my speech, my actions have been entirely insincere. For quite some time you have believed that I am like you in many ways, and though yes our bodies appear to be off the same they are not. Great differences, mainly regarding the existence of blood, exist between us for you see I am lacking said thing. Sort of. I mean, blood is not what runs through my veins. I'm usually not lacking in it though. It goes somewhere else. That sounded perverted. I'm not into blood play, if that is what you are thinking. It would be a waste of perfectly good blood, and I am not one to waste such a thing as it is what gives me life but not life as you know it and-" 

"KANAYA!" Vriska rudely interrupted her rapid fire babbling, bewildered but mostly confused. "What the ever loving _fuck_ are you trying to tell me?" Kanaya took a deep breath. 

"I'm a vampire." 

Silence. 

"I know this may come as a shock bu-" Vriska started cracking up. 

"Wait, no. You don't understand. This isn't a joke. I- Stop laughing! Vriska this is serious." Kanaya uselessly tried to calm her giggling girlfriend. 

"Oh man, you got me good. I was a little scared there for a second." She chuckled, wiping a tear from her eye. "So, is that it? You just wanted to play a prank on me?" Frustrated, Kanaya tried to think of a way to make Vriska take her seriously. 

"I'm not joking. I really am a vampire! Just look at my fangs." She said, holding her mouth open. Vriska's eyes widened. For a moment Kanaya thought she might run, but then she whistled. 

"Damn, those are some sharp teeth. Do you have that kinda shit just laying around your apartment? They look so real, it must have cost a fortune." Kanaya ran a tired hand over her face. 

"No, look, you need to take me seriously. This is a matter of life or death. Just the fact that I have intrusted you with this information is putting my life at stake, don't you understand?" Vriska rolled her eyes and stood up. 

"Okay, Kanaya, it was cute at first but now it's getting annoying. I'm not so dumb that I'd really believe you're a vampire. Now come on, let's go somewhere." 

In a fit of feral anger, mainly caused by the sudden realization that her stomach had been empty for quite some time, she grabbed Vriska by her shoulders and pulled her neck close. The taste of blood wine was still lingering on her tongue, but she herself hadn't actually swallowed any. In fact it had been almost two weeks since her last meal. 

The smell of blood rushing through Vriska made her fangs elongate. They plunged in eagerly. Vriska screamed and tried to get away, but Kanaya stayed still as stone, slurping up her blood with a desperate need that was almost erotic. She gulped own mouth fulls of the delicious red liquid, relishing in its taste. AB-. A rare delicacy, carrying both the flavors of A and B blood. 

It took immense will power for her to pull away. Even then she could hardly restrain herself from lapping at her neck a little, the taste of blood mingling with skin and sweat was delicious. Her saliva helped stop the bleeding and helped the reproduction of skin cells. Within seconds the wound had completely closed over, with not even a scar to show what had happened. 

Vriska's hand shot up to her neck, where the bite marks should have been. She was pale as a ghost and trembling like a leaf in the wind. Her fire blue eyes were wide as dinner plates and something about the way she held herself made her seem anemic. There was such a contrast to her usually confident and lively self it Kanaya's heart feel heavy. To add insult to injury the guilt wasn't completely real. The animalistic side of her enjoyed seeing her prey broken down and scared. Suddenly everything seemed all wrong and Kanaya wasn't sure why she ever thought it would work. 

"I'm sorry." she apologized covering her mouth. "This was a mistake I don't know why I ever..." embarrassed and ashamed she ran out of the apartment, taking advantage of her super human speed and managing to get out before Vriska even knew what happened. 

* * *

When she got back to her apartment she started throwing everything she owned into a fairly large suitcase. Years of having to move around to avoid suspicious had taught her how to fit nearly everything she would ever need in a suitcase. 

In half an hour she was ready to go. It occurred to her briefly that carrying around a suit case would look suspicious, but she tried not to think about it too much. She had to leave. Quick. It wouldn't be too long before Peixes found out what had transpired in that apartment. Chances were Vriska would be killed. Kanaya needed to leave before the gravity of the situation could settle in. Dirk would probably let her hang out with him for a while without qualms. Not to mention it normally didn't take him long to get his things in order. She'd be out of the country in no time. 

With disregard for anything but her own safety, she rushed out of the house and ran to Dirk's salon. She was in and out of her house within ten minutes. She didn't even hear the phone ring. 

* * *

Back at her apartment Vriska sat bewildered. Emotions were running through her faster than Kanaya ran out of the apartment. Pain tugged at her neck, and also at her heart. Part of her felt betrayed but it faded away in to fear. Not fear of Kanaya but fear _for_ her. Hadn't she mentioned something about their lives being in danger? 

Once she got her bearings together she fumbled around for her phone. All of Kanaya's numbers were committed to memory so she quickly dialed for her cell. Then her house. Then her work. She got voice mail every time. She left a message every time. 

She waited around for a few minutes, hoping Kanaya would realize that Vriska still loved her, even if it would take a minute to get used to. She hoped that Kanaya would realize running away wouldn't solve any of their problems. She prayed Kanaya would come back and tell her it was all a joke and everything would be okay. 

Five minutes passed. Then ten. Then twenty. Vriska grew antsy. 

Sitting around, already clad in boots and coat, obviously wasn't going to do anything. She grabbed her purse then ran out of the door. She caught a cab and gave him the directions to Kanaya's house, urging him to go faster all the while. Cleavage and dollar bills were enough to have him swerving around traffic and taking (probably illegal) short cuts. 

Without bothering to properly count her money, Vriska threw some bills at him, mutter 'keep the change' before running up to wear Kanaya lived. It didn't occur to her til she was at the top to take the elevator. 

When she got there she found Kanaya hadn't even locked her door. She walked in and was surprised to find a lot of things were missing. After having practically lived there the last few months she had become used to things like the painting of a, presumably African, girl naked and hiding in the bushes. Along with other relics which Vriska never payed much attention to, but then found herself much disconcerted by their absence. 

Blankets, throw pillows, and vases were all missing. When she walked into Kanaya's closet she saw that almost her entire wardrobe was gone. 

Vriska's heart was hammering in her chest. _No no no no no no no no!!!!!!!!_ , she thought. _This can_ not _be happening._

She ran out of the door and back down the stairs, taking them two at a time. It, again, did not occur to her to take the elevator. Adrenaline was pouring through her, making it impossible for her to stand still. _How had things escalated so quickly?_ , Vriska wondered. _One minute I was ready to go through a walk in the park, the next Kanaya decides to make a meal out of me and run._

She tried to think of where Kanaya might have run off too. As far as Vriska knew she didn't have much of a personal life. Besides work, the only other person Kanaya seemed to hung out with was Dirk. Vriska silently cursed herself for not remembering the name of the salon he worked out. Then she remembered the last time Kanaya had taken her to see him. 

She whipped out her phone and scrolled through her contacts list until she find "Dirk Strider Dick Rider Extraordinaire." He had stolen her phone at some piont and added it for "emergencies only!!!" She tried calling him, but he didn't even answer. Frustrated she sent him a text "Is Kanaya there????????" 

After two minutes of staring anxiously at her phone she got fed up and screamed. While she was screaming her phone started buzzing. She instantly stopped and looked. He had text her back. "Yeah. So, I guess the whole confessing thing didn’t go so well?" For some reason his question made her angry. She slammed her thumbs down on each letter hoping he would be able to feel her fury travel through the phone lines. 

"Man, I don’t even know! She just ran away after attacking me! Whatever, just give me your address." she demanded. He complied. He had an apartment over top of the salon. Vriska got a cab to take her there. 

She didn't even knock on the door before Dirk answered it. "Hey." he greeted, his voice hushed. "I don't really know what she's upset about, she won't tell me but I'm going to trust you. You've got the apartment to yourselves for a while. I'll be back at nine. Just don't use my bedroom, kay?" he requested before pushing her in and leaving. Vriska was too shocked by his bluntness to reply in anything that wasn't a blushing stutter. 

"Dirk? Who's there?" came Kanaya's tearful voice. Vriska started to panic. She hadn't actually thought things through. The silence only made Kanaya more curious. Vriska could hear her footsteps coming closer and closer. She didn't move. 

"Dirk, I asked you a ques-" When she saw Vriska her eyes widened in shock. "Vriska!" Both women stood there staring at each other. Then Vriska broke the silence. 

"I don't mind. If you're a vampire I mean. I don't mind. I still love you." she said. The more she spoke, the shakier her voice got. Looking up into her dark face and eyes as green as grass in the summer. The extent of her emotions overwhelmed her. It occurred to her that she could have lost Kanaya. She could have never seen her again. Tears were falling down her face, but she didn't care. Crying she tackled Kanaya and wrapped her arms around her thin shoulders. She started kissing her frantically, pushing her back onto the couch. 

"I love you." she told her, giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. "I." Kiss. Love." Kiss. "You." Kiss. "So much." Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. "So fucking much." She sobbed. She looked Kanaya in the eyes, her own were watery and dark. "Please don't ever leave me again. I don't know if I could handle it." she tried to keep her voice even, but Kanaya could hear it wavering. 

At first Kanaya thought maybe she had fallen asleep, Vriska was never that affectionate, but when she felt the wet tears fall on her cheek she was jolted into reality. Vriska had followed her. And she was crying. Not because she was scared of Kanaya, or because Kanaya had bitten her. She was crying because Kanaya had left her. Kanaya's own eyes were bloodshot, she had run out of tears she could still feel her throat tightening. It took a minute for her to work past it and respond. 

"I'm so sorry." she whimpered, hugging Vriska close and planting a kiss where she had bitten. "That was self-centered of me to do. Think I could just run away and leave you behind. I don't know why I thought that doing that would...solve anything. How foolish of me. I'm not smart at all Vriska. Not at all." she muttered. Vriska pulled away and cupped Kanaya's cheeks between her hands. 

"Kanaya you are the most wonderful, beautiful, talented woman I have ever met. Who caaaaaaaares if sometimes you don't know what to do with your feelings." She grinned down at her through her tears. 

"We're all a little dumb sometimes. I'm sure there's, like, 8 million quotes about how dumb love makes us. Don't worry about it too much, 'kay? Just don't run away next time." she teased, "I don't have super vampire strength to help me catch you. Not that that'll stop me from trying." she giggled before pressing her lips against Kanaya's and closing her eyes. There was no tongue, just skin. Her nose bumped awkwardly against Kanaya's but for the most part they fit together perfectly. They're breasts and stomachs were pressed together and Vriska was feeding Kanaya her body heat. She didn't mind that Kanaya was cold, she figured she was warm enough for the both of them. Vriska moved to straddle Kanaya’s legs. 

They stayed like that for a long time, just enjoying eachothers company and the feeling of having their lips pressed against one another. They felt as though there were truly one. 

Then Kanaya opened her mouth a little bit, as did Vriska. They exchanged wet, open mouths kisses. Still tongue was not introduced. The open mouthed kisses lasted even longer than the other one had. Eventually Vriska took the initiative to move things forward. She slipped her tongue through Kanaya's red painted lips, tasting a bit of cherry flavored lipgloss which made her giggle. It was cute how even though she was probably hundreds of years old that didn't put her above using something so...young. 

The noises they made her wet and sloppy. Things started getting heated and soon Kanaya was exuding her own body heat. Vriska could feel herself getting wet, but she wanted to take things slow. They had time after all. She didn't started stripping until the heat became almost unbearable, and even that she did slowly. First her shirt, then her jeans. She left on her panties and bra. 

Even though she her and Kanaya had done it plenty of times before she still felt a little self-conscious about her weight, especially as she helped Kanaya unzip her dress. She ran her hands over her smooth brown shoulders and felt her flat, toned stomach with envy. Her fingers brushed against her wide hips and followed the dress down her long, long legs. 

When Kanaya noticed Vriska's arms subconsciously covering her stomach she gently pried them away and started kissing all over her body. Her stomach, her thighs, the stretch marks on her breast, her slight double chin. All the parts that might her feel ashamed. She showed her that she loved every single bit of her, the same way she loved every single bit of Kanaya. 

They made love until they were sore from over stimulation. When Dirk found them they hadn't even had the decency to put back on their clothes. He rolled his eyes and covered them with a blanket, kissing them both on the forehead, as if he were their father. He chuckled at the irony for a moment before going to prepare himself for the next day. 

* * *

At first, Vriska was frightened because the couch she was lying on was unfamiliar and so was the blanket. But when she realized Kanaya was next to her she calmed down. Instead of getting up she let herself fall back and rest some more. 

The next time she woke up someone was staring her in the face. At first she thought it was Kanaya, but she had long, curly, light brown hair that was hanging down in her face. Her eyes seemed more narrow and her face was a different color. 

"Well, Vriska?" that voice was unmistakably Kanaya's. 

"Woah, what happened????????" she asked, sitting up suddenly. Kanaya smiled. 

"The magic of makeup." she replied. "You're next." she said, smiling. Vriska was suspicious of that smile. 

Five hours later Vriska was sporting a decent tan along with a dark brown bob and instead of contacts she wore her thin wire frame glasses. They stood in the mirror together and examined themselves. A day of having to sit still while Dirk singlehandedly worked just as well as any group of make-up artists. 

Even though Kanaya wanted to handle the wardrobe Dirk shot her down by telling her wearing regular clothes would be better. The idea was to not bring attention to themselves. Since their makeup and hair was so great they would have to wear old jeans and t shirts to keep attention off of them. 

When Kanaya saw the pair of jeans Dirk has picked out for her she frowned excessively. They were slightly dirty and had frayed ends. Nonetheless she begrudgingly put them on. Vriska was happy enough in her cheap sweat suit. 

They left as soon as the sun rose the next morning. Kanaya still wasn't sure whether or not The Condesce knew about her plans, but it would not hurt to be as careful as possible. Before leaving she kissed Dirk twice on the cheek. She was a little sad about leaving him behind, but he assured her he could pay for the long distance calls. After a tearful the good bye, which left Vriska a little bitter (Jesus Christ Kanaya, how many kisses does he need????????) they got into a cab Dirk had called for, ready to go to the airport. 

"Where are you ladies headed?" asked the driver. Before Vriska could answer, Kanaya forced the door open then scooped Vriska up in her arms. She busted out of the other door and began running for her life. Everything happened within a matter of seconds, which left Vriska's head reeling. When she finally managed to ask what the fuck happened Kanaya pursed her lips, there was anger in her eyes. 

"We've been found out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw I've got a writing blog (myhomestuckfanfiction.tumblr.com) so hit me up and send me an ask reminding me to update since I have no motivation whatsoever


	7. A Soulmate in Eternity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit goes down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains a little bit of vomit and a lot a bit of gore. Also sad stuff happens and people die.
> 
> Thanks to [Butter](http://believemeitsbutter.tumblr.com) for editing!!!

With Vriska tucked snug in her arms, Kanaya fled for her life. Both of their lives, really. At this point there was no way the Condesce would let Vriska get away alive. She was a human too deeply involved in the world of vampire politics. Nothing could save her, no one could give her normal life back.

If Kanaya were honest with herself, she would admit that that was exactly how she wanted it—to be the closest thing Vriska had to a savior.

The second the cab driver had spoke, Kanaya recognized the voice as Gamzee’s. She had been able to connect the dots and knew that if she did not get them out of there quickly, they would be killed. A small flicker of pride was alight in Kanaya's heart for handling the situation as well as she did. Gamzee was known to kill at the drop of one of his shitty clown club, so the fact that she was able to escape unharmed was a feat no vampire had been able to perform in centuries. 

A small part of her felt like Vriska's hero, even though in actuality she was the devil who had dragged her down into the abyss in the first place.

With disregard for her earlier vow of keeping the whole immigration process casual and inconspicuous, she broke out into her full speed, weaving through the crowded sidewalks with expert precision. Her stiletto heels slammed against the sidewalk, so hard she feared they might break, as she made her way in the direction of the park where her and Vriska had first met.

Chances were, all the average passerby would see was a blur and wind. If she was lucky even Gamzee wouldn't be able to spot her. The sidewalks were crowded enough that this idea was plausible, but that did not encourage Kanaya slack off in the slightest.

When she reached the forest of the park bumped into a tree, which sent a flock of crows fleeing, afraid. They took over the sky, turning everything black, but Kanaya did not have time to watch them, she kept running until she was so deep enough in the forest she was sure no one would find her.

The momentum she had already built up wouldn't allowed her to halt suddenly, so she put one foot in front of the other and allowed the friction between her feet in the ground to stop her. The skid marks she left behind seemed a mile long and twice as deep. Kanaya carried Vriska, jogging deeper into the forest, away from the incriminating marks.

Kanaya put Vriska down, then took a minute to get her bearings together. The world around her was spinning a little but she was able to get over it. Vriska, on the other hand, was still reeling. While Kanaya was trying to get the world to stop spinning, Vriska was busy vomiting in the bushes. "Oh dear..." Kanaya muttered quietly when she noticed. She went over to her girlfriend so she could pull back the longer bits of her hair, in order to avoid getting any vomit on it. The torrent didn't seem to want to stop. Before they left Dirk's house Vriska had insisted on cooking a large meal so they could stock up on energy. As she was suffered the consequences of her gluttony, Kanaya politely turned her head away.

Once there was nothing left for Vriska to throw up and the dry heaving stopped, Vriska shakily wiped the back of her hand against her mouth and tried to straighten her back. Her cheeks were lit up like Christmas lights, and her eye were pointed at anything that wasn't Kanaya. "Sorry. Just. Holy shit, a lot of stuff is happening. Way too fast. Backlash, you know." She took in a shuddering breath then fell down to the ground, making sure to avoid the pool of vomit. Kanaya sat down carefully next to her, putting a delicate hand on her heated forehead.

"There, there." she murmured, petting her bangs back, before threading her fingers through the hair. "I understand that this situation is going to be... difficult for you to adjust to and I hope you understand how sorry I am for dragging you into this. But I can assure you all will be well once we have gotten out of the country. The Condesce only has control over the North American continent. In Europe she is far less powerful. I'd even go as far to say that they hate her. She is too American, they say. And you know how Europeans loath Americans." Vriska look up from her knees at Kanaya giving her a small smile and giggle.

"But won't they hate us too then? We are from America after all..."

"I'm from France, actually. I have connections over there in Europe, don't worry. To be candid, I have more influence than she when it comes to Europe. There is a decent bit of folklore surrounding me, which is particularly popular over there."

"Woah, so you're like, a celebrity?" Kanaya shrugged. "Cool." Vriska's grin ate up her entire face, making it look like no more than a group of pearly white teeth. "What's up with this Condesce bitch anyway? How did she find out about us? I thought we were careful. We put on disguises and eeeeeeeeverything. Also, who was that guy in the cab? And why did you start running when you saw him? Where exactly are we running to, anyway? What are we going to do when we get there? Will they keep coming after after us? Are we going to be able to escape?" Vriska shot out question after question with no break in between. Kanaya waited until she took a breath to cut in and answered her questions as quickly as Vriska spoke them, using her impeccable memory to answer them in the order they came. 

"I've already explained to you, in depth, the tension between me and Her Imperiousness. How exactly she found out about our plans, I can't be sure, but chances are she caught wind of me going to Dirk's then wired the house or used a similar method of espionage uncover our plan and concoct a counter attack. The guy in the cab was Gamzee. I started running because he was going to kill us, and we are running to the airport to aboard our plane to Switzerland. They will most likely keep coming after us. I have full confidence in my ability and believe that we will make it out. Once we are in Switzerland they won't be able to touch us. My friends over there have already agreed to house us and keep us safe. The Condesce will hardly be able to get past immigration with them on the case." She winked. 

Vriska bit her bottom lip and looked unsurely at Kanaya. "So you're sure everything will be alright once we're in Switzerland? You proooooooomise?"

"Of course. You have my word."

"Your word ain't worth shit, motherfucker." a voice from behind them barked. Kanaya froze where she was while Vriska briskly turned around, screaming a little when she saw the tall, lanky boy who looked younger than Kanaya, but he seemed older. His skin was crisp white and his hair was a sort of unsaturated black. He looked like someone had sucked away all his pigmentation, a common trait among vampires but it stood out most with Gamzee because of the face paint. The white paint practically melded with his skin while the black sat proud but out of place. Other over-bright colors clashed with the black and white scheme that skipped being ugly and was downright horrifying. 

He was something out of a nightmare.

"The only place you all are goin' is right into the Condescension's dungeon, a'ight? We can't have all y'all motherfuckin' human lovers runnin' around and screwing up her human domination plans, ya dig?" he spoke easily, as if they were discussing something as simple as the weather. "Now, you're gonna come with me, quietly, unless you want me to all up and kill you right here." he told them, slowly pulling out a gun, then shooting, aiming so the bullet grazed Kanaya's cheek. She still didn't turn around to face him. "Come on now, Kan. Don't make this more difficult than it has to be." he said softly, walking in front of her and brushing her hair away from her face. The only visible response was the soft trembling of her hand, which Gamzee interpreted as fear.

His interpretation was wrong.

While his guard was relaxed tackled him to the ground, grabbing his feet from underneath him and pulling, then pinning him down with her weight. Surprised, Gamzee tried to shoot but the gun slipped out of his hand. "Fuck," he shouted when his head was slammed against the ground.

Kanaya's knee was digging into his stomach and one of her hands was pressing down on his neck. The unoccupied hand grabbed the gun and pointed it against his forehead but before she could even get her finger on the trigger Gamzee shouted, "Motherfucker, wait! If you kill me, he'll kill her." At that moment she heard a high pitch scream in the background. She turned her head and cursed.

Vriska was struggling against a large man who looked like a more terrifying version of Gamzee, with stitches across his mouth and a wide, happy grin.

When Vriska turned her head to get a look at her captor, another scream tore through her throat. Working on autopilot, she started blindly thrashing and kicking and screaming for Kanaya to help, but he stood still as stone, unperturbed. If Kanaya didn't know better she would think he was just a statue.

"What is going on? Explain, post-haste." she demanded looking down at the man beneath her hands, even more angry than before. "I had already surmised that the reasons for my persecution ran deeper than punishment for a law no one gives a damn about, but was I wrong in assuming ours deaths would satisfy her grudge against me for my refusal to join her army? What else could she possibly want from me at this point?"

Gamzee gulped subtly, but not so subtly that Kanaya didn't notice. She pressed the gun harder against his head. "Don't try to stall." she hissed.

"Well you see," Gamzee started, "The Condesce is definitely upset about you all up and rejecting her request...s to join her army so she figures we should try and, ah, persuade you a little more. To take up her offer. She got this idea that if we take you out of the human world they'll stop filling your head up with ideas of morality and other types of dumb shit. You're a vampire, sista, and you need to start acting like it. You've got all this motherfucking potential deep in your soul but it's being smothered by your god forsaken brain. You need to learn to just relax and obey." As he said the words he seemed to visibly relax, despite being in a situation where Kanaya could easily kill him.

The fingers around his neck started to curl, digging her dangerously sharp nails into his skin, allowing the faux, clear blood vampires were blessed with to drip between her digits. He did not flinch.

"What are the consequences if I choose not to abide?" she asked, unclenching her hand.

"I just told you, motherfucker. Both of you get the ax. Are you really going to throw away eternity just 'cause you don't like her Imperiousness? Dumbest fucking idea I ever heard I thought you were supposed to be all smart and shit." he laughed lightheartedly. Gritting her teeth she shoved the gun in his mouth, shoving it down his throat, which made him stop laughing, but the corners of his lips were still pulled into a smile.

"Shut up." she demanded evenly, glaring down at his unfazed expression. Back at Dirk's apartment they had gone over dozens of back up plans but none of them covered the situation they were in. Not by a long shot. The idea that the Condesce want her alive left Kanaya utterly baffled.

A minutes passed. Then two. Then Another. And another. And another. Each second passed so more slowly than the last, so slowly they seemed to drag across their skin. All was still. Frozen. Except for Vriska, who couldn't stop fidgeting.

It felt like a year passed before anyone spoke.

"Oh my god, just do it Kanaya! Just join her stupid army, who even freaking cares we're all going to die one day anyway." she exploded, spit flying from her signature blue lips. "Sure you've got your eternal life powers because you're vampires bluh bluh but if this is what happens every time a political figure decides to date someone then I can't imagine you're all going to live very long." The disdain in her speech hung heavy in the air. 

"Alright." Kanaya conceded bitterly, pulling away the gun. "I'll go with you." she announced, stepping aside and allowing Gamzee to stand before getting right up in his face and saying, "I swear to God, if you harm one hair on Vriska's head I will rip this empire apart with my bare hands and cause destruction so great it will take _decades_ to recover. Do you understand?" Gamzee pseudo nodded, his mind obviously elsewhere. To reinforce her point, Kanaya punched him in the jaw, sending him flying into a far away tree. In the distance, Kurloz looked alarmed. But he was not sure how to react. Receiving a similar treatment did not sound fun.

"I asked if you understood." Kanaya shouted before walking towards him, slowly, like a cat stalking her prey. The anger simmering underneath her skin radiated out like steam. Her jaw was locked and tensed. Her eyes held a rage that made Gamzee scramble to back up when they met his. "If you think that pathetic excuse for a nod was supposed to be enough to communicate your comprehension of the weight behind my words and how sincere I was when I spoke them then you are dreadfully mistaken. If, for even a moment, your drug addled brain dares to hold my statement in disbelief, I need to know so I can at least attempt to pound and iota of sense in that minuscule thing residing in your cranium you like to pretend is a brain. Is that what you want?" she asked, stepping in his chest, and digging into it with the heel of her stiletto. "Do you need me to beat some sense into you? Because believe me, I would not mind."

With Vriska thrown over his shoulder, Kurloz tried to rip Kanaya off, but Kanaya roundhouse kicked him. Her other foot was planted firmly on Gamzee’s chest, and as she spun her heel twisted the skin. She tried to grab Vriska using the momentum the kick had granted her, but Kurloz held strong and using his other hand he threw a punch, which missed. With the upper hand in her possession, Kanaya considered fighting Kurloz for Vriska then running but knew that would likely get Vriska murdered. Instead, she turned away from them, towards Gamzee. She lifted him up by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against tree so hard it created an indent. "As I was saying, before your partner so rudely interrupted me." she started, glaring at a, once again, statuesque Kurloz, "Keep Vriska as safe as you would keep the Empress, unless you went all hell to be unleashed. If that simple sentence is beyond your comprehension, I could always give you a taste of the power I hold. Is that what you want?" she whispered, almost kissing his ear with her lips. He shook his head, fearfully.

"N-no ma'am."

"Then I demand a proper response." she suddenly snarled, pushing him roughly against the tree, her nails digging into his shirt and scraping his skin, "Do you understand me, _motherfucker_?”

With wide eyes and an entirely sober looking face he nodded with fervor. "Y-yeah I got you, sis. We'll take good care of your girlfriend, I promise. No need to get all up and violent, Kan. It's all chill. Just...come with us, okay? She'll be fine." Satisfied with his answer she pulled her hand away, allowing him to drop to the floor and stand on his own two feet. He rubbed at the where her hand had gripped.

"Thank you. I appreciate it." she told him. "I assume you're going to take me to her headquarters." Gamzee nodded and lead them out of the woods, trying to keep his distance from Kanaya.

"Yeah, motherfuck- er, ma'am. The Condesce herself wants to talk to you about joinin' the army. Maybe if you go quietly she'll even let you keep your girlfriend." he lied, which made Kanaya laugh.

"Yes, I'm sure complying with her whims and joining an army whose sole purpose is to conquer and devalue humans will help completely change her perspective on their "right" to be romantically involved with a human. That idea makes perfect sense." she snarked. "Just cut the shit Gamzee we both know how this is will turn out. It's best you stay as uninvolved as possible." She sighed. "If only we could have just escaped in peace. It would have saves us all so much trouble."

* * *

The ride to the headquarters did not take nearly as much time as Kanaya hoped it would. She pursed her lips as she stared at the large, gothic cathedral they pulled in front of. Obviously the perfect place for a horde of vampires to reside.

A little cliché and melodramatic in Kanaya's opinion.

The immediate inside was just like any other place of religious worship with prophets and saints lining the halls. It seemed innocent enough but once they got to the basement things became more and more sinister. It was almost comical, the correlation between their descent and how hellish the place became.

At the very end of the spiraling stair case they had taken stood Karkat, in front of a large wooden door. His eyes avoided Kanaya as well as they could, but occasionally she would see them flicker in her direction. 

He exchanged a few official words with Gamzee before letting them pass. Then they had to walk down an obscenely long hall to get to the Condesce. 

Once they reached the end of the hallway, they came into view of the Empress. She was draped dramatically across her large golden throne, with one arm covering her eyes. On her forehead was a golden tiara Kanaya did not remember her ever wearing before, and in her hand was a gargantuan, golden 2x3dent, which Kanaya was well acquainted with. She had forgone any immediate guards, most likely to look more dramatic. Like she was the lone ruler of the empire, the only one competent enough to get anything done.

After their footsteps stopped, the Empress histrionically slid down the thrown, onto the floor, leaving her 2x3dent leaning against the throne. She began to walk towards them with flourish. Her overly dramatic elegance was ruined by the ghetto twinge in her voice as she asked, "How you doin'?" in a way remnant of Wendy Williams.

Kanaya resisted the urge to drag a tired hand down her face.

"S'all good." Gamzee replied, fist bumping the Empress before backing away. "Here's the Kan, just like you asked."

"Yeah, but I don't remember asking for that other thing you decided to bring me." she commented with a sour pout on her face. "Food ain't got no business listenin' in on the very important conversation that's 'bout to happen. You should have just killed her. Can't you dumbshits just take orders?" Gamzee struggled with an answer as to why he brought her. Feeling merciful, Kanaya stepped in.

"I told them so long as they allowed her to travel with me safely, I would not put up a fight." The Condsece rolled her eyes, groaning.

"Man, the fuck Karkat even let her in for, she should have just stayed outside wit him." She pouted "Whateva. I guess I just gotta deal. The more the merrier and all that shit." she sighed. "Anyway, go get the thing I asked you to fetch. We still need it." she said, shooing away Gamzee and Kurloz. They lingered around the opening into the hallway, sharing a look.

"Okay now, I don't mean no motherfuckin' disrespect but wouldn't it be a better idea to have at least one of us in here with all y'all? At the very least, call in Vantas. He's the one who convinced you to use this method anyway. Don't he deserve to at least watch the fruits of his labor be born and all that wicked shit?" When Gamzee mentioned Karkat Meenah glanced towards Kanaya to see her reaction. Her face didn't falter which made Meenah's eye twitch.

"I'll be fine, _go_. I want to do this shit alone, anyway." Hesitantly, the twin vampires left. Vriska stood awkwardly in a corner while the Condescension focused all of her attention on Kanaya. Their eyes locked, and stayed locked for a few minutes of tense silence. At first Kanaya's face was calculatedly calm whereas Meenah appeared constipated, her nose scrunched up and her brow furrowed. Gradually, their faces changed. Kanaya's became more confused and frustrated while Meenah's morphed into a more confident and self satisfied expression. Vriska stared on, baffled. 

"Are the two of you just going to stand around staring at each other or what?" she asked. They both ignored her.

Another couple of minute passed before the silence was broken.

"What are you doing." Kanaya hissed, looking greatly pained while the Condesce's face was as smug as she had ever. Her large, pointed teeth dominated her smile, making it look like she could kill someone with barely a nibble.

It suddenly occurred to Kanaya that the Condesce was the first person she met who was taller than her.

The Empress pointed to the tiara one her head, which was softly aglow. "This little nigga I found. I just so happened to find it on the cadaver of a vampire who was lying around, so I figured I'd take it. It's a mind control type joint. You know, makes any living thing bend to your whim and whatnot. It's been pretty fucking useful so far." As she explained it's powers, Kanaya could feel a sort of pressure on her mind increase. It felt as if something was trying to force itself in brain. She resisted by thinking and keeping her mind busy, so it would not give in to the splitting pain was threatening to break her concentration. Thankfully, decades of honing her intelligence by learning as much as she could was able to keep the Condesce new found magic at bay.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kanaya saw Gamzee and Kurloz dragging in a limp form. Curiosity convinced her to turn her head a bit to see who it was. When she saw, she faltered. 

It was Dirk.

Noticing her break in concentration, the Condesce pushed with her mind and was able to slip in for the first time. Kanaya gasped at the sudden pain and put her hands to her head, pushing them together and trying to squeeze the Condesce out but it was too late. She could already feel her mind starting to muddle as she lost control.

As Kanaya weakened, the Condesce push in more and more, while leisurely walking to her throne. A limp Dirk was thrown at her feet. Flashing another grin at Kanaya, she lifted him up by his hair and pulled out a machete from under her chair. Deft fingers leisurely dragged the over-sized knife against his neck, careful not to draw blood.

"I figured you'd be able to resist the magic since you ain't like most vampires. I hate to admit it but you are hella strong. And damn stubborn, won't do a fucking thing I say. S'annoying as shit man. I was hopin' this dope ass tiara would loosen you up a bit but figures you're still resisting. If I'd known they were gonna let you bring your little bitch along instead of eating her like I _ordered_ I wouldn't have gone through the trouble of getting this guy, but whatever. Using both of them as blackmail ain't gonna hurt." As she said this, Gamzee took hold of Vriska, twisting her arms around her back where he held her wrists together in one hand. She didn't even bother trying to fight against him as he dragged her next to where the Condesce sat.

"Wait a moment, what do you want with them?" Kanaya asked, shakily. Talking was getting harder. Simply standing was a struggle. It felt like half of her body had been taken over but she still managed to choke out, "I always figured humans were too below you to be included in negotiation tactics." 

"Well duh. But humans are good for one thing. Food. And if you don't just give in I'm gonna make their pitiful lives worthwhile." she emphasized the last word by pressing the machete harder against Dirk's neck.

Kanaya tried to glare at them to look threatening but her gaze was weak and watery. It quickly fell. Then her eyes rolled back and her neck gave up on supporting her head. Groaning, she collapsed to her knees. Her torso folded over. Harsh, ragged growls were spilling from her chest. As she threw her head back she screamed in anger, trying to fight the Condesce influence but failing greatly. She caught glimpse of the steel drawing droplets of blood from Dirk's neck. A flicker of pearly white pressing against the flesh of Vriska's throat.

The sights were enough to make her finally give in. 

The relief she felt when the pain ended and the Condesce slipped into her mind was almost orgasmic. It left her sweating and shuttering. Tears welled up in her eyes and when she blinked they were set free to run trails down her cheeks.

Once the Condesce had control of her mind, it felt like she was floating in a white space and in front of her was a TV that had been put on mute.

She could not move. She could not feel. Or breath. Or hear. Or speak. 

But she could see.

She could still see and there were thoughts floating around regarding what she saw, although the thoughts were completely detached from her body.

Chances were, the Condesce wanted her to watch as she did all sorts of horrible with her newly acquired weapon. Watch and lament. But at least Kanaya could take comfort in the fact that the loves of her life would be spared.

Or so she thought, until she saw Gamzee's teeth slip easily Vriska's neck and the Condesce's machete slide across Dirk's neck, severing his head. She laughed grossly while holding his head up like a trophy while she drank from his neck like a fountain. Both were sloppy as they slurped up the blood gushing from the humans' necks, treating them like water fountains. Vriska's mouth was wide open, as were her eyes and the pain and was so evident in her face Kanaya swore she could hear her screams. Blood was spraying out of Dirk's neck so violently Kanaya swore she would hear the hiss and smell it, filling the room. Anger was boiling up so fast she thought she would explode. It was so vast and large the white space could hardly hold her and Kanaya almost thought she heard herself screaming. 

Then she realized she could hear herself screaming. And she heard Vriska screaming. And she heard and smell the blood coming from Dirk's neck.

Everything felt muted and heavy, but Kanaya was definitely back in control of her own body. But her thoughts were not in control. They seemed a minute in delay. Her body moved before she could think and everyone seemed to be whirling. Everything was so confusing. The only thing Kanaya knew for sure was that she was angry.

God was she angry.

The red blood splashing all over the walls could barely capture the extent of red she saw flashing in her eyes as she lunged towards the Empress who had betrayed her.

Then there was even more blood splashing over the walls.

So much blood.

Too much blood.

It was flooding the room and it was flooding Kanaya, filling her from the bottom up. So much red, it was everywhere but it wasn't as red as it should be. It was mixed with something else. Something was watering it down. Something like blood, but not exactly.

That was when Kanaya realized she had killed the Empress and the clear liquid splashed over her face was the artificial blood that filled the veins of vampires. A moment of horror ran through her and for a moment she knew what she did was wrong and panic was biting at the edge of her mind but all of those emotions were drowned out by the anger when she remembered what she had seen while in that white space.

With the Condesce dead, her thoughts were no longer clouded by the power of the tiara and she was able to comprehend what had gone on. The Condesce had been arrogant and assumed Kanaya would be too weak to do anything but watch as her loves were devoured.

How foolish.

Any ounce of remorse for the crime she had committed was gone. She knew that. At her core, Meenah had become a horrible empress. A twang of remorse played in Kanaya as she thought about the mess she had left Karkat to dealt with. But she still could not regret a thing she did as she pulled Dirk's head from Meenah's lifeless hand and tucked it under her arm. Then she walked over to Vriska, who had passed out, and lifted her bridal style.

For some reason she had the urge to go behind the throne in order to escape was pressing at her. Slightly disoriented, she walked over to where her mind told her too. She got there faster than expected. It felt like her body was moving faster than her mind, which left her with whiplash. She scrambled for the handle, but there was none. While her mind was telling her to go elsewhere there was a pressure in the back of her head that told her to press in one of the gold bricks that made up the wall behind the late Empress's throne. Then another and another until five were pressed in and a door slid open.

As the fresh air from the dark tunnel rushed up to clear the fumes of blood from the room, her head began to clear as well. She realized that when the some of the Condesce's memory had gotten mingled with hers while Kanaya had been forcing the late Empress out. She also realized that she had taken large gulps of the Empress's blood. Since the Empress had such a hearty diet Kanaya was filled with more nutrients than her body was used to. As a result it felt like her body was on fire.

Just as she was about to release that energy by running full speed to Dirk's house, she heard a groan from behind her.

Moving faster than ever before, fueled by the Empress's blood, it took her less than a second to cross the room to where Gamzee sat. Her insides felt jittery, like they were vibrating. Her instincts were screaming at her to run run run _run run run RUN RUN RUN GODDAMMIT **RUN**_ , but she didn't run. Instead she took a bite out of Gamzee's throat, leaving her mark. 

In his ear she hissed, "Tell them to stay away." And although he acted like he was sleeping she knew he was awake and he heard and he would tell them.

Still ignoring her instincts, she walked leisurely back behind the throne. The feeling of having so much control over herself after having lost control was something Kanaya wanted to savor. It felt like there was so much energy in her she might burst.

Once she found her way out of the labyrinth, using the lingering memories of the Condesce, she zipped to Dirk's apartment. Surprisingly no one was there.

Feeling secure, finally, she laid Vriska down on the couch. There was a weak pulse, she could still be saved.

The smart thing to do would be to call the ambulance and let them take care of Vriska, but Kanaya at that moment felt more selfish than smart. Right where Gamzee had bitten Kanaya started to salivate. Her spit filled the holes and Kanaya watched as the muscle and tissue began to repair themselves.

After a few minutes of allowing her saliva to seep into Vriska's skin she kissed her on the lips, breathing into her. Eventually Vriska's breathing started to even out.

The energy that had filled her before started to dissipate when her love was healed enough to breathe on her own.

Kanaya stood, glanced at Vriska to make sure she was still breathing, then walked to Dirk's bathroom. As usual, she turned the water to scalding hot and allowed her dead body to soak in the temperature while she scrubbed away the blood that had began to dry and flake.

The water swirling down the drain was surprisingly red.

Kanaya didn't keep track of how long she was in there, relishing in the feeling of cleanliness, idly washing her scalp. It wasn't until there was a knock on the bathroom door that Kanaya remembered how much danger she was in, how urgent it was that she get to the airport.

Lingering energy from consuming the Condesce's blood helped her quickly wrap a towel around her body and open the door before a second knock could come. For a moment she bristled and fear was running through her; the girl staring at her in the doorway was unfamiliar. But then Kanaya registered the tan, round cheeks and impressive bosom as that of her girlfriend’s. The hair cut had thrown her off for a moment. The fact that even _she_ was fooled did help settle her nerves a bit.

"K-kanaya? What happened?" she managed to choke out. Even though she tried to act strong, to hide the crack in her voice, to seem unfazed, Kanaya could still read her plain as day. In an effort to comfort, she wrapped her long arms around her shoulders and buried her face in Vriska's dyed brown hair.

"Sssssh." she whispered, her voice vaguely muffled by the other woman's hair. "Don't speak. Not now. We don't have time for that." She threaded her fingers in the newly cut hair. It was still soft from Dirk's washing.

At the thought of Dirk Kanaya's heart gave a lurch and a sense of urgency, a need to escape, filled her. "Come now, Vriska. It's time to go to the airport. Our flight is soon. We're going to have to hurry if we want to get through checking in time."

"But wait, where are our bags?" Vriska pulled away, apprehension swirling in her watery eyes. Kanaya pressed a soft kiss to her tremulous lips, shooshing her gently.

"Please set aside your worries and trust that I have everything taken care of. Because I do. Alright? The only thing you need to do is try not to puke." And with those words she lifted Vriska up, bridal style as per usual, and tapped into her Condescension powers. She wasn't sure how much energy she could derive from the few mouthfuls she had drunken, but damn if she wasn't going to make the most of it.

She ran all the way down the stairs and out to the front building. The cab Gamzee had commandeered was still sitting there. Kanaya leaned Vriska against the cab then ripped open the door. The suitcases were still there. She carried two with her forearms and gave the biggest one to Vriska to hold on to while she was cradled in Kanaya's arms.

With all of their things back in their possession, they were free to leave. Kanaya ran to the airport, taking no less than ten minutes.   
From then on they ran like a normal couple trying to catch their flight. There was no sight of vampires and the entire process was going smoothly.

Still, Kanaya would not let herself relax until they were both resting safely in Switzerland. During the entire plane ride Kanaya sat awake, fearful. Planes weren't something to which she wasn't accustomed, in fact planes were her preferred way of travel after running, but the nagging feeling that something was going to go wrong kept eating at her.

Vriska told her to relax and sleep. Kanaya promised she would and feigned sleep until Vriska was snoring against her shoulder. Then she went back to watching out. For what? She was not sure.

It wasn't until the plane landed safely in Switzerland that Kanaya could feel safe, and when that feeling of safeness spread through her, letting her muscles relax she knew. She knew things were going to be okay.

But when her girlfriend, her lover, her _soulmate_ , looked up at her with blue fire flickering in her eyes she realized things weren't going to be okay.

They were going to be fantastic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp this is the last chapter.
> 
> Next is an epilogue which will be probably really short and fluffy.


	8. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So!!!!! This is the end!!!! I think this is my first officially finished multi chapter fic woah. Multi chapter anything actually? Damn.
> 
> Also sorry it took like two months to writ this really short pure fluff chapter

On the front porch of a small cottage sits a dark woman, who's nimble fingers work on mending a dress she had made herself. Normally her schedule is quite full, as she is a member of the European Vampire Council. Helping to govern an entire continent can be hard work, but thankfully they have given her a few vacation days because being undead monsters doesn't mean they can't be civil. Even vampires need time to rest and relax.

Grateful for the free time, Kanaya plans to spend a majority of the days catching up on her nearly abandoned hobby. It has been as long time since she last held a needle and thread in hand. As she sews, she reminiscences.

Exactly ten years ago, Kanaya and her lover ran from the States in order to avoid persecution on account of their forbidden love.

A lot has changed in the time that passed. New home, new job, new country, and even a new name. In public she is known as "Rose Lalonde."

The thing only thing she has yet to get used to is the loss of her small-time fame. Staring down at the now still needle in her hand, she wonders if she should try to build herself up again. Her sewing needle resumes its work, faster than ever, while her mind wanders.

Patterns, fabrics, and various cuts float in front of her eyes, eager to be sewed together and be worn by millions. But for some reason she cannot fathom the thoughts into articles of clothing. Anything she tries to put together seems blurry and out of reach. For a moment, she frets and thinks she has lost the ability she worked so hard for.

"Hey Kaanaaayaaaaaaaa." sings a voice behind her. She turns only her head. The sight that greets her makes her inhale sharply even though she hasn't needed to breath for centuries. 

In the doorway of the home they had bought, together, stands the love of her eternity. Pale arms, clad in a lacy, black see through material, are crossed under her voluptuous breasts. Cleavage spills out of the low cut, wine red shirt, that hides underneath the black lace and fits like a corset, falling low enough to cover half her thighs. The skinny jeans she wears are tight, like a second skin, sewed to perfectly fit the contours of her body.

Suddenly, it’s as if something inside of her clicks. The patterns start to weave together and form thousands of outfits, all befitting the model in front of her. She smiles up at Vriska and curls her finger, motioning for her to come sit down. The blond looks warily at where Kanaya is sitting, so close to the sunlight. She rubs her arm, thinking of the pain it caused her after she first turned. Most vampires don't even think about going into the sun, but Kanaya is sure Vriska has a higher tolerance than other vampires, as a side effect of being turned by her.

Still, Vriska shakes her head and sits down in the shade, with her back against the wall and decides to talk to Kanaya from there. "So, since you're not doing anything today, could we _finally_ go hunting together?" she asks, with a hopeful lilt to her voice. Kanaya frowns. As much as she wants to baby Vriska and keep her innocent, she knows that line of thinking will only endanger her.

"Alright." she says, with pursed lips. "When do you want to go?" The needle in her hand has stopped. She puts the dress she was mending down next to her, on her left, looking over at Vriska who is on her right, behind her.

"I dunno. When the sun sets, I guess." she replies, shrugging. "When do you think that'll be?" she asks, squinting at the sky. She claims that after becoming a vampire her vision improved, so she doesn't need glasses or contacts, but she still has the habit of squinting. Kanaya thinks it is cute when she scrunches up her face and decides to kiss her on the nose. Vriska laughs and pushes her away. "Ew, gross." she jokes, "You'll give me cooties." Kanaya puckers her lips and begins to plant kisses all over her face, carefully avoiding her lips. Laughing, Vriska falls back against the porch and allows Kanaya's thinner body to overpower her. The slender fingers of the darker woman wrap around her lover's chubby, pale wrists.

They spend the rest of the afternoon cuddling and kissing. While Vriska's head is in her lap she pets her wild blond hair and hums. "Just like a star across my sky, just like an angel on my page. You have appeared into my life, feels like I'll never be the same." Vriska's eyes close and her face stills. It looks like she is cut from marble. Kanaya's voice rings out through the crisp, arising night and pierces the sky as stars fade in. "You've got this look I can't describe, you make me feel like I'm alive..." Vriska turns over on her side and starts to feel sleepy. "Still I wonder why it is, I don't argue like this with anyone but you." Vriska interrupts her, snorting.

"Pfft. We don't argue. Our conversations are just more colorful and angry sometimes." 

"Oh of course. We are far above simple arguing. When we disagree we talk speak calmly like reasonable adults. No name calling in this relationship."

Vriska laughs loudly while Kanaya smirks to herself.

The moon is high in the sky before they remember they made plans to go hunting. But after an exhausting afternoon spent cuddling, they weren't sure if they were in the mood for blood.

Instead of heading for the town that was a few miles off, they ran in the opposite direction. They ran towards where the trees, and the lakes, and the animals were. They un and frolic at full speed. Racing eachother, almost, each trying to wear the other down. Then they tackle eachother to the ground and start another kissing match, making sure to avoid the lips. They touches and caresses are but teasing samples of whats to ocme later.

It is not until they have worn eachother down and driven eachother crazy that they allow themselves to rip off the others clothes and make love until the sun starts to rise.

While they watch the sunrise, entwined together, breast to breast, they both whisper "I love you" and relish in all the time they have to spend together.


End file.
